< img src="https://www.tu-dortmund.de/storages/tu_website/_processed_/a/8/csm_pelletheizung-tu-dortmund-1_Ausschnitt_BLB-NRW_702de9d7cd.jpg" alt ="" > A 150‑tonne crane raised the steel colossus into the brand-new extension of the structure on 10 February. The extension had been constructed particularly for this purpose by the Bau und Liegenschaftsbetrieb NRW (BLB NRW, Structure and Real Estate Management North Rhine-Westphalia) at the heating plant on Emil‑Figge‑Straße 71. At a later stage, 2 13‑metre‑high silos for the pellets that feed the boiler will be delivered, along with a likewise sized heat tank to pre‑produce heat over night for daytime operation. The accredited wood pellets consist of dried, without treatment sawmill residues, mostly sawdust and wood shavings.
With a combustion heat output of 2 MW, the brand-new wood pellet system can cover a substantial share of the campus’s base load for heating and hot water. On one third of the days in a year, this capability suffices to meet total demand; on colder days, additional heating is required. For this purpose, TU Dortmund University operates 3 gas boilers that conventionally provide heat from natural gas, as well as 3 combined heat and power units that produce heat and electrical energy highly efficiently from gas. Compared to conventional gas combustion, the new pellet shooting system considerably enhances the balance values for CO ₂ emissions and primary energy usage, allowing the university to satisfy the target values of the Gebäudeenergiegesetz (GEG, Building Energy Act) for new buildings in the future. Commissioning of the brand-new system is prepared for late summer season so that it will be ready for the new heating season in autumn 2026.
Electrical energy from photovoltaics and wind power
The brand-new wood pellet system is the first step towards making greater use of eco-friendly sources and generating energy sustainably. In addition, a ground‑mounted photovoltaic system is arranged to be integrated in 2026 on Emil‑Figge‑Straße beside the Proving Ground for High-Voltage Direct Current Transmission. With an output of around 1.65 MWp, it will cover about 5 percent of the university’s own electrical power need. When more electrical energy is produced than consumed sometimes, a battery storage system can absorb the surplus energy. After historical preliminary examinations on the 14,000 square‑metre open location were completed and minor discovers protected, building of the system can begin in the summer.
Preparatory planning has actually also started with BLB NRW and a possible operator for the construction of a wind turbine on a field at School South. A wind turbine approximately 110 meters high– from ground to hub– might generate an approximated 10,000 MWh per year and hence theoretically cover up to 25 percent of TU Dortmund University’s own electrical energy demand.