Renewable heat networks: a concrete and local lever for decarbonization

District heating networks are a mature, manageable, and locally anchored solution for heating collective housing, public buildings, healthcare facilities, and cultural facilities. By harnessing locally available resources—biomass, geothermal energy, industrial waste heat, or waste heat from data centers—they meet a dual requirement: decarbonizing uses and strengthening regional energy sovereignty.

Today, these networks supply more than 50.000 buildings in France, with an energy mix composed of 66,5% renewable and recovered energy. However, their coverage remains limited: only 5,3% of the heat consumed is distributed via this system, compared to an average of 13% in the European Union.

Ambitious goals, still out of reach

The Multi-Year Energy Program (PPE) sets an ambitious target: tripling the heat delivered by networks by 2035, to reach 90 TWh. This involves doubling the annual rate of deployment, with 600 km of network to be laid each year, compared to 353 km today.

The FNTP study estimates the investment needed to meet these targets at nearly €900 million per year, of which more than €510 million directly concerns public works companies. By 2035, this would represent €5,1 billion in cumulative activity and up to 26.000 jobs created in the regions.

This milestone requires strong regional mobilization. Without rapid acceleration, the national carbon neutrality trajectory cannot be maintained.

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