Challenging district heating project in central Norrköping
An old district heating culvert in the very centre of Norrköping is being replaced by a new pipe. Narrow streets, tramlines, and protected trees on an archaeological site mean strict requirements for coordination and flexibility during installation.
The oldest pipes in E.ON’s district heating network date from the early 1950s and many of the old concrete culverts need renovation.
“The utility company has had problems with recurring leaks on this district heating pipe,” says E.ON’s Project Manager, Joakim Viitanen.
“One of the challenges are the tramlines that we have to cross and build a chamber next to. We will also be connecting the new pipe in an existing concrete culvert to an abutment on a very busy road. And all this is being done in the centre of Norrköping, which has a considerable impact on the public, so replacing the pipe involves plenty of challenges,” he adds.
New pipeline route
“But the challenge is not only limited space underground, it’s also the traffic, refuse collection, emergency access roads, access to hotels etc., which has to be dealt with,” says David Svenmar at FVB.
The solution has been to build a pipeline running about 650 metres in a new section. The choice to not lay the new pipe along the same route as before is due to the lack of space at street level, and that the existing pipe cannot be completely excavated or be decommissioned, as the supply of heat to customers has to be maintained.
The new pipe section offers more space underground compared to where the existing concrete culvert lies, despite there being pipes and conduits for water, electricity and fibre in the ground. It was identified early in the feasibility study that this section could accommodate two DN500/800 pipes.
Sensitive area
“Apart from having to lay a pipe in the centre of the city, the area is also classified as being of special historical interest, which means we had archaeologists observing the excavation. There is also a ‘biotope protection’ avenue of trees right along the line of the excavation, which we had to protect, so this is a very unusual project in many ways,” says Joakim Viitanen.
To ensure the work goes as smoothly as possible requires close liaison with everyone involved, according to Viitanen. This particularly applies to Kanonaden Entreprenad, the contractor doing the work, and FVB, who handles all the planning and contact with the third-party inspector for construction and manufacturing control for the entire project. Peter Tyrholm and David Svenmar are the main FVB experts involved.
“We’re also going into all the properties affected to see what we need to do to replace service pipes,” explains Tyrholm, whose office is located near to the excavation site.
“It’s rare that a project planner is as close as in this case. FVB has given us planners who are engaged and out on the site when we encounter problems that may mean we have to deviate from the original plans,” says Joakim Viitanen.
Examples include electrical cables lying at a different level compared to the information provided by their owners, or that rainwater drains run at a different angle to what was expected.
“In such cases, having a planner located nearby is invaluable. They can come to the site and we can discuss how to best tackle a problem,” explains Viitanen.
Urgent replanning
“At one point during this project, we had to hold an emergency replanning session. We sat with FVB at five in the afternoon and discussed how to solve the problem. Peter and David outlined a proposal that they forwarded to us late the same evening. That level of engagement is needed to keep this type of project moving forward,” he says.
The project will be completed in the spring of 2026.
More information:
Peter Tyrholm, 013-25 09 47
David Svenmar, 013-25 09 44
