Challenges and solutions

The district heating (around 80% of total consumption) and a technically outworn heat supply system with low economic performance in the beginning of 90s was widely developed in Latvia. Trying to adopt to market economy and higher tariffs many consumers sought for autonomous heating and refused from district heating. As a result, district heating turned out to be in a crisis in the middle of 90s and the decision had to be taken - to maintain district heating by modernization or to support its decentralization.

The 10 years conception of the Riga City Council (1997) envisaged to keep district heating as the main way of heat supply and considerable work in modernization of heat supply system. Fundamental ideas of the European Energetic Charter form the framework of the concept: modernization of the system, development of cogeneration and energy efficiency. The large scale work began - JSC "Rigas siltums" with a mixed shareholders' structure was founded in 1996. In 1997 all consumers were equipped with heat meters at the lead-ins of buildings therefore allowing to start having a proper system of settlements. Individual Supply Points (ISP) of buildings were readjusted and JSC "Rigas siltums" undertook service responsibilities for the ISP as additional function. The next step was liquidation of 185 Central Supply Points (CSP) and installation of modern bloktype ISPs in the buildings which decreased the consumption by 15-30%. At the moment 6541 ISPs (81%) are modernized or newly installed. Heating mains (38%) are renovated or overhauled. Liquidation of the CSPs and four-pipe distribution network allowed to decrease thermal loss by up to 14,58% in the 2004/2005 heating season. This is very significant for Latvia because Riga provides 52% of the district heating supply.

The main producer of thermal energy (70%) in the city is JSC "Latvenergo". At the moment already 85% of thermal energy in the city is produced in a highly efficient cogeneration process. The tariff is the lowest among the cities of the Baltic countries.

A new conception of heat supply development for the years 2006 - 2016 has been worked out emphasising necessity of fuel diversification in Riga, improvement of energy efficiency in buildings and limitation of new boiler installations in the centre of the city where the feasible limitations of NO2 are exceeded already now. Riga is developing its own Energy Agency as well.

by Ms Maija Rubina