FEDA Ecoterm to use Valira d’Orient river for district cooling in Escaldes‑Engordany

FEDA Ecoterm has begun works to use water from the Valira d’Orient as a cooling source for its district cooling plant in Escaldes‑Engordany. The project, budgeted at €889,805, is expected to take about six months.

The installation will add a water‑to‑water heat exchanger so river water can lower the temperature of the plant’s network fluid without any direct contact between the two water streams. After heat exchange the river water will be returned to the Valira d’Orient; under current regulations the returned water may not raise the river temperature by more than 1 °C. The company also says the river’s ecological flow will be maintained at all times.

River water will be drawn through intake screens that operate using the Coanda effect, a widely used technology that allows water to pass while letting fish and debris flow over or around the screens without harm. FEDA Ecoterm describes the system as fully respectful of the natural environment and says it will not cause significant ecological impact.

By using the river for passive cooling, the efficiency of the plant’s cooling equipment is expected to double, meaning more cooling energy can be supplied without increasing electrical consumption. Once the intake and the previously planned plant expansion are completed, cold distribution capacity should rise from the current 1.6 MW to about 8 MW.

The upgrade is also intended to facilitate a future connection between the Andorra la Vella and Escaldes‑Engordany networks, allowing the expanded Escaldes plant to supply cooling beyond its parish and reach parts of the capital.