Progress on ocean thermal energy loops!

An update on the roll-out of ocean thermal energy loops in the Principality was given during a press conference held at the Meridien Beach Plaza on 22 October. The briefing was attended by Ms Céline Caron-Dagioni, Minister of Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development, and Mr Thomas Battaglione, CEO of SMEG, representing the Monegasque group seaWergie. The event, held one year following signature of the concession agreement on 26 October 2020, aimed to look back at the highlights of the last 12 months.

The energy consumed by buildings is responsible for 35% of Monaco’s greenhouse gas emissions, and so the Prince’s Government is working to phase out the use of fossil fuels to heat the Principality’s buildings. By offering an alternative to fuel oil, which will be banned from 1 January 2022, the roll-out of two new ocean thermal energy loops lies at the heart of this strategy, and the State is investing more than €60 million in the project.

2 buildings connected and 3 to make transition by late 2021

A year after the contract to operate the Condamine and Larvotto loops was awarded to seaWergie, the roll-out is well and truly underway. 

• La Condamine

The first building – the Winch – was connected to the loop in June 2021. The next step will follow in the coming weeks as the Administrative Centre is connected.

• Larvotto

The primary infrastructure for the loop has been completed and the first sub-station, serving the shops in the new Larvotto resort area, has been operational since 1 July. By the end of the year, two further developments, including Testimonio II, will be connected. 

The concession holder is working with co-owned buildings and their managing agents. Priority is being given to buildings that currently use fuel oil for their heating; by connecting to the loop, they will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80%.

For target buildings of the Larvotto loop alone, “we have already achieved nearly half of the goal, securing 40% of connection commitments,” stressed Thomas Battaglione at the press conference.

By 2024, Monaco will have 29 buildings connected to the ocean thermal energy network. The heating and hot water for these buildings will be supplied through the generation of around 26,000 MWh of carbon-free energy, delivering annual savings of 6,025 tonnes of CO2 compared with current facilities.

Ocean thermal energy: a commitment dating back more than 50 years in the Principality

Monaco was one of the first countries to make use of ocean thermal energy, developing genuine expertise in heat pumps from the 1960s onwards. The technology behind ocean thermal energy loops involves recovering heat energy from the sea to supply buildings with heating and cooling. In other words, the temperature of seawater is used to provide heat and air conditioning.

There are now more than 80 seawater heat pumps throughout Monaco, generating energy with no impact on the marine ecosystem. For everything you need to know about ocean thermal energy in the Principality, see: https://energy-transition.gouv.mc/Energy-Transition/Renewable-energy-in-Monaco/Ocean-thermal-energy-the-Principality-s-blue-gold & our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/kMY4dkX2gUY?t=1

“Thanks to this energy infrastructure of the future, in three years, Monaco will have reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 7%,” said Céline Caron-Dagioni.

A challenge that the Principality is absolutely ready to take on!