From 21 to 23 November 2023, the new HEATEXPO 2023 show in Dortmund will offer policy-makers, producers, municipalities, public utilities and other key players the platform they've all been waiting for to power forward the drive towards renewable heating. With an extensive supporting programme, HEATEXPO will offer visitors a wealth of expertise, specialist talks and best-practice workshops. The fact that the German Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development & Construction has assumed the patronage and is involved in the supporting programme also underlines the special importance of this event.

Dortmund, 30 October 2023 – HEATEXPO 2023, the new B2B trade show focusing on tomorrow's heating systems, will soon be making its début. From 21 to 23 November 2023, the halls at Messe Dortmund will be alive with talk about heat generation and heating supplies, infrastructure and transportation grids, heat services and heat-related digitalisation as well as development and capital investment. For the first time, stakeholders in local government, municipalities, public utilities and the worlds of political decision-making, business and science will have the opportunity to come together in one place and discuss how to advance the green energy transition in the heating sector.

The fact that the German Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development & Construction has assumed the patronage of the new show at Messe Dortmund illustrates the high level of expectations people have of this forum. The ministry, established in 2021, is responsible for construction, the building industry, federal buildings, urban planning and urban development programmes, housing, regional planning, regional policy and state planning – in other words almost all topics that are to be covered by the new show.

Klara Geywitz, Federal Minister of Housing, Urban Development & Construction, takes a correspondingly upbeat view of HEATEXPO: “Heat planning in municipalities and expansion of heating grids are key basic requirements for climate-friendly heating in our homes. That is why we in federal government set the associated legislative bill for an act of parliament in motion this summer. Ongoing development of local and district heating grids is essential in this context, also from a point of view of enabling a cost-effective transition in the way heating is provided. Municipalities, owners and investors need reliability and planning certainty so that all players benefit from decarbonised heating. This calls for good dialogue between policy-makers, municipal utilities and the providers of technical solutions – HEATEXPO is coming along at just the right time and is an excellent forum for this.”

SPermanent secretary to participate in high-calibre supporting programme

Shortly before the curtain rises on the show, the extensive supporting programme has also been finalised, with visitors able to expect a superb programme at the venue including informative talks, panel discussions and workshops. The first substantive highlights will follow right after an official welcome by the Mayor of Dortmund, Thomas Westphal, as Dr Rolf Bösinger, Permanent Secretary in the German Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development & Construction, will open the first day of the show with a keynote speech followed by the opening discussion panel entitled 'Wärmewende konkret' (Heating Transition in Practice) with contributions from stakeholders among interest groups such as Ingbert Liebing, Chief Executive of conceptual sponsor Municipal Enterprises Association (VKU), and Dr Gerd Landsberg, Chief Executive of the German Local Government Confederation (DStGB). Day 1 of the show will focus on policy-making and strategy, including talks such as 'Implementing the heating transition in the housing industry – possible solutions?' and 'Getting grids ready for the move to renewable heating'.

On Day 2, exhibiting companies will be on stage to present their solutions for the move to renewable heating, decarbonisation, heat pumps and artificial intelligence. The theme day 'District heating – decarbonisation and transformation' will see engineer Markus Schranzer, Sales Manager at HoSt Bio-Energie GmbH, opening with an informative talk on 'Carbon-negative heating and CHP plants helping make the heating transition a success'. The theme day will be chaired by Silke Laufkötter, Editor-in-Chief of EUROHEAT&POWER. Other speakers will include Lea Gallé and Wiebke Hoberg from the show's technical partner the Association for the Economical Use of Energy and Water (ASEW) speaking on 'New heating grids in existing built-up areas – challenges and solution tactics'.

Workshops and round tables to offer extra added value

Complementing the talks, the HEATEXPO programme will also focus on in-depth workshops and informative round tables. Dr Karsten Lindloff, Team Leader, Energy Efficiency at the German Energy Agency (dena), for example, will lead the round table on 'Municipal heat planning in practice – small municipalities and rural districts' where, in an in-depth round of talks, experts will share their experience to date and shed light on the opportunities and challenges associated with the transformation. Julius Hagelstange, Project Manager in the environmental unit of the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu) focusing on municipal climate protection, will offer valuable information complete with worked examples in the workshop on 'Municipal heat planning: keys to greenhouse gas neutrality'. Digitalisation and climate protection will also be covered in the workshops and round tables. There are limited places available for both these types of event, which is why registration is required. Interested parties are welcome to register here.

Visitors to HEATEXPO can look forward to high-quality input on Day 3 as well, with scientific inspiration in abundance at the 'Science meets HEATEXPO' forum held in collaboration with Dortmund Municipal Authority where heat pump expert Fabian Ahrendts from the Fraunhofer IEG, Dr Rolf Albus, Chief Executive of the Essen Gas & Heating Institute (GWI), and Dr Sibylle Braungardt from Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and the Öko-Institut will demonstrate real-life examples associated with the provision of heating and energy conservation. Equally informative will be the talks on 'Municipal heat planning: Challenges & Opportunities' by Dr Manfred Lange, Research & Development Coordinator at the GWI, and 'Heat to cool: future-proof heat pump solutions for industry and municipalities' by Thomas Lergenmüller from GEA Refrigeration Technologies GmbH. Geodata-based algorithms and databases also have a key part to play in the move to renewable heating and will be examined in greater detail by Christoph Schmitz, Manager at r2b consulting, in his presentation on 'GIS analyses for surefire planning and efficient decarbonisation of heat supplies'.

For an overview of all talks, speakers and timings, please visit the HEATEXPO website.

Away from the extensive supporting programme, HEATEXPO will also be featuring a wide range of exhibitors, with big-name exhibitors showing their latest products and solutions for heating equipment and heating supplies and covering the entire spectrum from municipal heat planning, maintenance, measurement and sensor technologies to transmission grids and building connection points. Single and multi-day passes to HEATEXPO 2023 are available from our online ticket shop.

All key information, updates and developments concerning the show can be found 24/7 on social media channels at Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, on the show's website and via newsletter.

EXHIBITION AT A GLANCE

HEATEXPO – THE SHOW FOR TOMORROW'S HEATING

HEATEXPO, which is set to launch in November 2023, is Messe Dortmund's brand new European trade show showcasing tomorrow's heating paradigms and presenting innovative technologies up close at an event where solution providers in disciplines ranging from plant construction to infrastructure services, consulting and energy supply are shaping the future of heating.

DATE: 21 to 23 November 2023

EVENT ORGANISER: Messe Dortmund

TARGET VISITOR GROUPS: Energy suppliers, plant operators, industrial companies, municipal utilities, architects, housing associations, neighbourhood developers, investors and policy-makers

CONCEPTUAL SPONSOR: Municipal Enterprises Association (VKU)

TECHNICAL PARTNER:

• Association for the Economical Use of Energy and Water (ASEW)
• Association of German Cities (Deutscher Städtetag)
• German Local Government Confederation (DStGB)