A mapping resource for the planning of district heating in Ireland which details modelled candidate areas, potential sources of waste heat and potential anchor loads.

Background

A promising pathway for decarbonisation in Ireland’s heating sector is the widespread deployment of district heating. It is estimated in the National Heat Study that over 50% of Ireland's building stock would be suitable for connection to a district heating network, and Ireland's government has now set targets under the Climate Action Plan to deliver 2.7 TWh/year of heating through district heating by 2030.

SEAI has carried out an initial, modelled analysis to identify the towns and cities with the highest potential for developing Ireland's first district heating networks. Using a spatial model, we aggregate clusters of Census Small Areas with high heat demand densities into distinct Candidate Areas for district heating. More information on the methodology for this analysis can be found here.

What you will find in this map

Modelled Candidate Areas for District Heating

  • These areas represent a modelled scenario within which district heating supplies 2.7 TWh/year of heat across the residential, commercial and public sectors.
  • More ambitious targets of 5.1 TWh/year and 8.1 TWh/year can also be explored.

Potential Sources of Waste Heat

  • Power plants and industrial sites
  • Data centres
  • Food retail
  • Food production
  • Wastewater treatment sites

Potential Anchor Loads

  • Local Authority Offices and Buildings
  • Public and privately funded hospitals
  • State Prisons
  • Publicly funded universities and colleges

Geothermal Heat Pump Suitability (courtesy of Geological Survey Ireland)

  • Closed-loop suitability
  • Open-loop suitability