La Rochelle

With its ambition to reduce its carbon emissions by 30% by 2030, the collaboration between heat producers and consumers represents a real opportunity for the La Rochelle territory.

The Waste-to-Energy Unit (UVE) of La Rochelle is a waste treatment center for waste from municipalities and industries.

The facility processes 65,000 tons of waste annually, producing electricity and heat.

A significant amount of this heat is recovered through the district heating network in the Mireuil and Port-Neuf neighborhoods, as well as the nearby Rhodia plant. However, the recovery is limited, and a large quantity of heat is still lost and released into the atmosphere.

Located in Chef de Baie since 1994, the fishing port, situated a few kilometers from the WWT (Wastewater Treatment Plant), unloads an average of 2,000 tons of fish on its docks per year. This intense activity requires a significant need for refrigeration to preserve seafood. This cooling is currently produced by energy-intensive facilities using refrigerants with a high environmental impact.

With its mobile thermal battery technology “Move Heat to Cold” (MH2C), Water Horizon will distribute renewable positive cold from the waste heat of the Waste-to-Energy plant.

The MH2C battery is charged by the heat from the UVE. Once the battery is full, it is transported to the Chef de Baie port to distribute cold. To ensure service continuity for the fishing port, this project will include 2 batteries.