September 27 (Renewables Now) - Austrian energy company Wien Energie GmbH has commissioned a 10-MW power-to-heat plant in Vienna that will run on green electricity to produce heat and support grid stabilisation.

The new system, located on the site of the Spittelau waste incineration plant, consists of two water heaters, each with a capacity of 5 MW. The facility uses excess green electricity to heat water to around 155 degrees Celsius. The water is then used for district heating in the Austrian capital.

Wien Energie has invested EUR 4.9 million (USD 4.72m) in the project, it said in a press statement.

The new power-to-heat system in Spittelau integrates the electricity and heat sectors and helps prevent blackouts in Vienna, said Peter Hanke, City Councilor for Finance, Economics, Labour and International Affairs. With the plant, Wien Energie ensures even more grid stability and generates renewable district heating, Hanke added.

The Spittelau facility is one of several systems operated by Wien Energie to prevent blackouts. Another power-to-heat plant in Leopoldau has been in operation since 2017, generating more than 38,000 MWh of heat from excess electricity.

(EUR 1 = USD 0.965)

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