Kelag Energie & Wärme acquires biomass plant in Villach

Kelag Energie & Wärme is set to take over the Untere Fellach biomass heating and power plant in Villach starting in mid-September. Previously operated by a partner company, the facility is a key component of the Villach-Arnoldstein district heating system.

The plant can feed up to 70 million kilowatt-hours of heat from biomass into the network annually and generates eco-electricity for up to 6,000 households. The broader Villach-Arnoldstein district heating system spans nearly 200 kilometers of pipelines and delivers approximately 270 million kilowatt-hours of heat per year.

To further the regional energy transition, Kelag plans to collaborate with the city of Villach to extract heat from wastewater using large-scale heat pumps. The system currently utilizes various sources, including solar thermal energy, biomass, and waste heat from industrial plants and the KRV waste recovery facility in Arnoldstein.