EU climate targets will mainly hit Czech households; district heating plants can adapt better

The new climate targets proposed by the European Commission could pose a major problem especially for households with fossil-fuel boilers. Under the new rules, they would probably have to switch to other heat sources. By contrast, district heating plants will be better able to meet the proposed targets, so the price of heat from district heating systems should not rise significantly. The Association for District Heating of the Czech Republic told the Czech News Agency (ČTK) today in response to a query.

On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed a binding climate target for 2040 of cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 90 percent compared with 1990. The 90 percent emissions reduction is an EU-wide target; each country can have a different target, but the overall reduction must reach 90 percent.

"With the right conditions in place, the district heating sector can cut emissions by 88 percent by 2040. By 2040, fossil natural gas should be used practically only in peak-load sources and partly in cogeneration to compensate for fluctuations in electricity generation from renewable sources," the association said.

If all the prepared and planned support measures are completed, especially the Modernisation Fund and auctions supporting high-efficiency cogeneration (CHP), the price of heat from district heating systems will not rise significantly beyond inflation, according to the district heating companies. "It will therefore remain highly competitive," the association noted.

By contrast, the proposed target will pose a major problem for households that heat their homes with fossil fuels, according to the association. Emissions from these boilers will no longer be possible to reduce significantly in the future, it said. "They will have to switch to another heat source," the association warned.

The European Commission announced the target despite objections from some countries, including the Czech Republic, which wanted to postpone the move. The Czech government said on Wednesday that it disagrees with setting another climate target. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) said prosperity and economic considerations must be kept in mind.