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A new energy source for downtown Boston: the Charles River

By District Energy posted 05-04-2023 00:30

  

Boston Globe

Summary

Policymakers have long wondered how to reduce carbon emissions caused by the heating and cooling systems in Boston’s office towers, universities, and hospitals.
It turns out one big answer to this vexing question could be found right in front of them — in the Charles River.
Vicinity Energy, the private equity-backed owner of Boston’s and Cambridge’s steam system, has signed an agreement with MAN Energy Solutions to build a low-temperature source heat pump system at Vicinity’s plant near Cambridge’s Kendall Square to make steam. The source of those low temperatures? Water from the Charles River.

Vicinity is already retrofitting its Kendall plant, which uses natural gas to fire its steam boilers and an electricity-generating turbine that also produces steam from its excess thermal energy. The company is replacing one of those gas-fired steam turbines with a boiler that will run off the electric grid, a $20 million project that will provide steam to customers who pay a premium for it to come from renewable electricity. Vicinity will procure that power from renewable sources such as wind and solar plants, and distribute the “green” steam to customers — starting with a lab complex near Fenway Park being constructed by developer IQHQ.

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