Funding approval granted: Project 'WärmeEngel' starts in the Oberbergischer Kreis The project launch is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026

Oberbergischer Kreis. Utilizing excess heat effectively and protecting the climate: this is the principle of the “Heat Angel”. The aim of the project is to make use of the waste heat from the combined heat and power plants powered by landfill and biogas at the Leppe Waste Disposal Center in Lindlar and transport it using an innovative storage system. This heat will be used for heating the Dieringhausen Vocational College in Gummersbach, with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions from public buildings.

The project is part of the REGIONALE 2025 Bergisches RheinLand under the funding call “The Best of Both Worlds – Climate-Friendly Urban Energy Solutions” and contributes to practically implementing energy solutions for rural areas.

The Heat Angel project is a collaborative initiative of the Oberbergischer Kreis, the Bergischer Waste Management Association (BAV), and TH Köln. The project has a budget of approximately 1.5 million euros. Following a successful application, a grant notification was issued for this purpose from the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE). The funding amounts to 80% and is provided by the European Union and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Heat Angel operates on the principle of hand warmers: heat is absorbed in mobile latent heat storage units, transported by truck, and fed into heating systems on-site. As part of the demonstration project, the Dieringhausen Vocational College is expected to be largely supplied with green heat. With an annual heat demand of 910,000 kWh, it is one of the largest public heat consumers in the Oberbergischer Kreis. The vocational college is located approximately 16 kilometers from the Leppe Waste Disposal Center.

“Now that the funding is secured, we can officially launch the Heat Angel. Our goal is clear: we want to demonstrate how mobile energy solutions can work in rural areas while significantly reducing CO2 emissions from public buildings,” says Frank Herhaus, Head of Planning, Regional Development, and Environment of the Oberbergischer Kreis.

The Bergischer Waste Management Association is responsible for providing the waste heat, loading the mobile storage units at the Leppe Waste Disposal Center, and managing the entire logistics of heat transport. “The funding approval confirms that our excess waste heat can now be utilized purposefully. We deliver energy exactly where it is needed. This is an important contribution to the regional energy transition,” says Elena Eßer of BAV.

TH Köln is responsible for developing the measurement and evaluation concepts. This includes implementing measurement technology at the heat source and sink, data analysis, and subsequent overall energy assessment of the system. “With the approval, we can now demonstrate that climate-neutral heat can also be provided without traditional heat networks – an innovative model for rural regions,” says Prof. Dr. Thorsten Schneiders of TH Köln.

Following the funding approval, an engineering firm is currently being commissioned to plan and implement the necessary construction measures. The official project start date is March 1, 2026, and the construction measures at the Leppe Waste Disposal Center and the Dieringhausen Vocational College are expected to be completed by mid-next year. This will officially set the Heat Angel in motion as a mobile heat transport system.