History

Havndal Fjernvarme A.m.b.a. – Background and start-up

Havndal Fjernvarme A.m.b.a. held its founding general meeting on September 16, 1992, but prior to this founding general meeting, there had been a working group in the city that had investigated the possibilities of establishing a district heating plant.

As early as 1991, a working group was established by the Citizens’ Association for Havndal and Surrounding Areas, and it investigated the possibilities of obtaining a sufficient number of consumers who would participate in a possible future district heating plant. To establish the plant, 75% of oil-fired homes had to sign up, as well as the three major consumers (Skolen – Havndal Hallen and the nursing home “Aldershvile”). The three major consumers signed up quickly, but it took some time before there were enough consumers to get the project started. Around the summer holidays of 1992, 77% of consumers had signed up, and the working group then began to investigate the market for suppliers of machinery, buildings, wiring and straw.

After the founding general meeting, we were required to ask Naturgas Midt/Nord if we could build a biofuel plant here in Havndal, and Naturgas Midt/Nord quickly returned to the board with the message that there was no gas in the then Mariager municipality, so we were given a free choice of fuel.

After that, things started to go fast and before Christmas 1992, most contracts were in place, but we had to tender the machine delivery to Linka instead of Nordfab, as Nordfab wanted to stop producing straw combustion plants.

A plot of land was purchased at Laursensvej 4 and around March 1, 1993, work began on establishing the wiring network. On April 19, 1993, the first sod was laid for the building that would house all the machinery and installations. Straw delivery contracts were also signed with three local farmers for the supply of straw for the next 5 years.

The local newspaper advertised for a heating engineer to look after the upcoming district heating plant, and 17 applications were received. Following recommendations from our advisors and Linka, it was decided to hire Henrik Thorup as heating engineer as of August 1, 1993.

On August 14, 1993, we turned on the oil boiler and heated the water in the mains, and on August 16, 1993, the first people were connected to Havndal District Heating. On September 2, 1993, the straw boiler was lit for the first time, and the last ones were connected on. October 27, 1993.

Since then, we have had many consumers at the plant, both consumers who used oil for heating, and also many who used electricity as a heat source; in addition, there were two who had geothermal heating which is also connected to our heating plant.

This summer in 2025, we now have 322 consumers who are heated. We have 1 oil boiler left in Havndal that is not connected and 75 homes that are heated with electricity.