Energisamarbete Väst is an initiative by Vattenfall and a collaboration between the district heating plants in Vänersborg and Trollhättan, as well as the industrial company Alloys, which manufactures metal alloys. Lower heat demand than the available production capacity Alloys supplies high-quality waste heat from its industrial processes to the district heating network in Vänersborg. Thanks to this, the amount of heat that can be supplied to the network often exceeds the actual heat demand in the city. The surplus heat from the Vänersborg network is then transferred through a seven-kilometre underground pipeline to Trollhättan. In situations where this is deemed more optimal, or when no waste heat is available at certain times – for example during maintenance shutdowns – heat can also be transported in the opposite direction.
Joint operating plan with economic and environmental benefits
Based on the identified current situation, a high optimisation potential was assessed. It was estimated that significant financial and environmental savings could be achieved by identifying the most optimal mode of production, taking into account weather conditions and the availability of production units. With the support of Aurora by Sigholm (AbS), the three collaboration partners were able to develop a joint operating plan for production, enabling them to anticipate the coming days’ conditions and providing transparency in communication about the current state of operations.
Automation and visualisation for enhanced quality assurance
In addition to production optimisation, Aurora by Sigholm has also supported Energisamarbete Väst by distributing the revenues stemming from the operational benefits of the collaboration, through a monthly settlement process. Using Aurora by Sigholm, this settlement is automated and visualised in a clear and comprehensible way, with the operational benefit defined as the theoretical savings generated by the collaboration. By automating the calculation process – which would otherwise require manual work – a significant amount of time is saved and quality assurance is improved. Through a shared visualisation of the operating plan, production outcomes and operational benefits in Aurora by Sigholm, transparency and awareness of the collaboration’s value are further strengthened.
