Denmark’s District Heating Success Holds Lessons for Canada
Source: Christopher Bonasia | · THE ENERGY MIX · | February 6, 2025
Denmark’s power sector decarbonization shows how municipal policies drive district heating—an insight Canada could apply to widen adoption of the efficient, low-carbon heating systems.
“Many will dispute the economic feasibility of district energy in Canada, despite the country having one of the most urbanized populations globally,” said Tonja Leach, executive director of QUEST Canada, a charity supporting community net-zero goals. District heating systems may come with high upfront costs, often paid off over decades, but the same is true for water, sewers, and highways.
“It’s important to recognize that such infrastructure boosts Canada’s overall productivity,” Leach added.
Denmark’s District Heating Leadership
Denmark is a “global frontrunner” for its district heating systems, which are deployed nationwide, writes the Regulatory Assistance Project, in a new report highlighting the country’s successes. The widespread use of district heating there can be attributed to “decades of targeted policy and investment and careful design of the regulatory framework.”
The country integrated district systems into its climate strategy, aiming to cut carbon emissions by 70% across all sectors by 2030, eliminate the direct use of fossil gas for space heating in households by 2030, and remove gas from all households by 2035. Today, 44% of Denmark’s buildings have a district heating connection, including two-thirds of homes as of 2023. The country has also largely made the switch away from oil, coal, and gas in district systems; in 2023, only 13% of district heat was generated using fossil fuels.
Canada has its own examples: the Zibi mixed-use development along the Ottawa River captures waste heat from a paper factory. Vancouver’s False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility recovers heat from wastewater. And Enwave’s Deep Lake Cooling system cools over 100 buildings in Toronto with cold water from Lake Ontario.