DRAGØR: Despite information campaigns, letters and citizen meetings, it has not been possible to get more than 35 percent of the citizens to join the district heating project in Dragør. A good distance from the 65 percent it needs.
In May, doubts suddenly arose about the project's financial basis, which prompted the municipal council to initiate an external investigation of the economy.
The investigation showed that the tariffs that have been the basis for Dragør Fjernvarme A/S' registration campaign are not sufficient to secure the company's finances in the long term. The company is underfunded by approximately 25-50 percent.
Based on the investigation, both the Climate, Urban and Business Committee and the Finance Committee have decided that they recommend that the municipal council drop the project. On this basis, the municipal council will decide on the further process for the district heating project on Thursday, but it is likely that it will end here.
- There is not enough support among citizens for district heating, which we in the Conservatives respect. And at the same time, it has become clear that the economy will be challenged due to new statements about the project's prerequisites from Tårnby Forsyning. And responsibility is the most important thing for us, so that is why the project is closing, says Kenneth Gøtterup (K), mayor of Dragør.
Now it will be individual supply
The parties are very upset that the project cannot be done. Especially because it is difficult to imagine where the collective supply will then come from - instead, the towns will have to find individual heating supply. The administration will return in the autumn with information about alternative heat sources, and the heating plan will be revised.
- This will have major consequences for the citizens who had joined, for the municipality's climate plan and for the heating supply, which now cannot be collective, but must be based on individual solutions. This cannot be lamented enough. It will be difficult for many, especially in densely populated areas, and difficult discussions await in housing companies, homeowners' associations and the old town. We must look at how the municipality can support these, says 1st Deputy Mayor Nicolaj Bertel Riber (S).
The mayor believes that it will be particularly challenging for citizens who live in apartments or in Dragør's old town with 300 homes from the 18th century that are worthy of preservation.
Although Dragør has done everything it could to make it a success, the mayor believes that it has completed the task set by the government to investigate whether it was possible to establish district heating in the municipality:
- The government gave us a big task. We solved it, but the government has subsequently contributed to the difficult rollout, especially with unclear statements about the phasing out of gas, which has created uncertainty. It has been like a hurdle race, where the obstacles were constantly moved, says Kenneth Gøtterup.
MBH
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