Czech municipalities along the Dukovany–Brno heat pipeline route support construction, says Teplárny Brno

Municipalities along the planned Dukovany–Brno heat pipeline route support the project, Teplárny Brno said after its representatives completed an initial round of talks with the mayors of the 14 municipalities affected. In a press release, the company also said the municipalities plan to take heat from the pipeline.

„The aim of all the meetings was to inform mayors about the start of preparatory work on the project. We also discussed the settlement of property rights for affected land, including any land adjustments, as well as the municipalities’ energy plans, particularly in the area of heating. All the discussions were constructive, and I am pleased that we talked with the leadership of every municipality about practical matters such as connections and any necessary amendments to land-use plans,“ said Petr Fajmon, CEO of Teplárny Brno.

Representatives of the Brno municipal company presented local leaders with all the basic information about the project, including the route mapped across the cadastral areas of each municipality. They also briefed them on the work schedule.

„Most of the municipal representatives we spoke to told us they plan to take heat from the pipeline, which I consider excellent news. The heat pipeline is not just a Brno project; it is also intended to serve nearby municipalities. We now face the task of working together and coordinating on specific technical projects. In particular, we need to agree with the municipalities on the routes of the feeder pipelines and the connections themselves, including the relevant terms,“ Fajmon added.

The 42-kilometre heat pipeline is intended to reduce Brno’s dependence on imported natural gas, which heating plants currently use to produce about 80 percent of all heat. In the future, Dukovany is expected to meet half of Brno’s heat demand.

The estimated construction cost is 19 billion crowns, of which two billion will be invested by ČEZ directly at the Dukovany power plant site. ČEZ CEO Daniel Beneš said at the signing of the agreement with the heating company that the construction contractor should be selected around the second quarter of 2027.

Construction of the heat pipeline was considered in the 1980s. It was not economically viable at the time because of low gas prices. The consequences of Russia’s attack on Ukraine changed those plans. The project is included in the land-use planning documents of Vysočina, the South Moravian Region and Brno. The heat pipeline is to run through 14 municipalities in Vysočina and South Moravia, including Horní Dubňany, Dolní Dubňany, Moravský Krumlov, Oslavany and Ivančice. The transfer station will be in Bosonohy.