9th Global District Energy Climate Awards 2025
In cooperation with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the IEA Technology Collaboration Programme on District Heating and Cooling, the UN Environment Program, the representative organisations of the District Energy sector, Euroheat & Power, IDEA and APUEA joined forces to celebrate success and collective attainment in the District Heating and Cooling sector.
The winners of the 9th Global District Energy Climate Awards have been revealed at the awards ceremony on 18 February 2026, during the Campus Energy Conference in Washington, DC, USA.
Modernization
Statement
“We are very honored to be awarded in the 9th Global District Energy Climate Awards for the modernization of the Kankaanpää district heating network. Through a determined shift to renewable and surplus heat sources, such as waste heat from industry and data centers, we have reduced carbon emissions by 99% between 2020 and 2025. Today, some 70% of Kankaanpää’s district heating is produced without combustion. With digital twin optimization, we aim to further enhance system efficiency and reliability. This modernization project demonstrates the dedication and commitment of Vatajankoski’s team to pioneering New Energy and sets a benchmark for resilient, low-carbon district heating worldwide.”
Pekka Passi, Managing Director, Vatajankoski
Modernization
Statement
“WarmteStad is honored to be recognized in the 9th Global Climate District Energy Awards. Though Groningen sits on top of the once Europe’s largest natural gas field, the Municipality of Groningen is a national frontrunner in becoming carbon neutral. Consequently, the municipality founded WarmteStad as a publicly owned district heating company to accelerate the decarbonization of heating. In under a decade, we have already built and connected >10% of the city (~40 GWh p.a.) and are expanding rapidly toward 65%. Our renewable heat system lowers energy costs and strengthens our community. By uniting data waste heat, heat pumps, a 37,000m2 solar thermal field, one of the largest in Europe and a 1,000,000m3 ATES seasonal storage, our system is not only sustainable, but also is more resilient.”
Theo Venema, Senior Business Developer at WarmteStad
Sector Coupling
Statement
“Enwave is honoured to be awarded the 2025 Global Climate District Energy Award for ‘Sector Coupling’. The nearly 2-million-gallon thermal energy storage tank at The Well in the heart of downtown Toronto is a prime example of how innovation, engineering, and a customer-centric mindset came together, resulting in a thermal battery that provides efficient, reliable heating and cooling while relieving pressure on the electricity grid. Working with our partners, customers, and community was a truly collaborative effort, and we are excited to continue advancing solutions that make cities more resilient, liveable, and ready for the future.“
Carlyle Coutinho, CEO, Enwave
Sector Coupling
Statement
“A2A Calore e Servizi is honored to receive the Global District Energy Climate Award. For over five decades, we have been committed to providing reliable heat to the city of Brescia – the first Italian city to develop a district heating network – and this recognition reinforces our decarbonization journey. Since 2015, we have reshaped our district heating system by integrating heat recovery from industrial processes, flue gases, and data centers, together with thermal energy storage and on-site renewable generation. This transition has allowed us to completely eliminate coal five years ahead of regulatory requirements and achieve a significant reduction in emissions. Today, Brescia benefits from a cleaner and more resilient energy system, with 83% of the heat produced coming from non-fossil sources (2024 data). This award encourages us to continue integrating renewable and waste heat sources to further reduce fossil fuel use and contribute to the city’s climate-neutral future.“
Luca Rigoni, President & CEO, A2A Calore e Servizi
Emerging District Energy Market
Award of Excellence
Statement
“HUNOSA is very grateful to have received this Global District Energy Climate Award. Our company is undergoing a challenging transformation, having already closed all its coal mining operations, and we are currently focusing on generating alternative employment in our region, leveraging the company’s assets and helping to decarbonize the economy. This recognition encourages us to continue working with determination on innovative approaches, capitalizing the company’s resources and reinforcing our commitment to a just energy transition. The award also gives us visibility, which we hope will contribute to the use of similar thermal resources in other geographical areas.“
Enrique Fernández, President, HUNOSA
Emerging District Energy Market
Statement
“Markham District Energy is very pleased to be a Climate Awards recipient. Recognized winners, both current and past, are industry leaders in our sector and we are honoured to be included alongside this group of distinguished colleagues. Now in our 25th year, we are proud of our industry leading service record now exceeding 99.9992% combined with an award-winning safety record. However, our largest challenge lies ahead as we implement low carbon production strategies to achieve our 2050 goal of net zero emissions. Adding to our CHP, thermal storage and biomass fuelled assets, MDE is now constructing the world’s largest wastewater energy transfer (WET) project currently scheduled for commercial operation in late Q1 2026. When fully operational, this 31.45 MW WET facility will reduce MDE’s GHG emissions by over 30,000 tonnes annually: our largest step forward to date in achieving our 2050 net zero objective.“
Bruce Ander, P, Eng., CEO Emeritus, Markham District Energy Inc.
New Scheme
Award of Excellence
Statement
“We are honored to receive the Global District Energy Climate Award for our Väo energy complex. This recognition reflects Tallinn’s drive toward a carbon-neutral future and our commitment to reliable, affordable and sustainable heat. Our collaboration with GEA and their high-efficiency heat pump technology has been central to this achievement. Together, we are proving that innovative, low-emission district heating is not only possible, but scalable for cities worldwide.”
Robert Kitt, CEO, Utilitas Tallinn
New Scheme
Statement
“Thank you to the Global District Energy Climate Awards jury for recognising Polar Night Energy’s Sand Battery for Loviisan Lämpö with a Certificate of Merit in the New Scheme category. We are honoured that the project was selected among such high-quality entries. This recognition reinforces our belief that thermal energy storage can play a key role in decarbonizing district heating, reducing fossil fuel use, and enabling sector coupling at scale. We hope the Pornainen Sand Battery inspires others to adopt practical, scalable solutions for a cleaner and more resilient energy system.”
Tommi Eronen, CEO, Polar Night Energy
District Energy in Developing Countries
Statement
”We are honoured to receive this recognition for our Cooling-as-a-Service Concession at TRIL Gurugram. This award reflects our commitment to delivering innovative, energy-efficient cooling solutions tailored to India’s growing urban ecosystems. By adopting a fully integrated delivery and operations model, we have demonstrated how district cooling can enable real sustainability outcomes while improving comfort and efficiency for customers. We are proud of this milestone and will continue driving wider adoption of climate-friendly cooling across the region.“
Philippe Coquelle, Chief Development Officer, Tabreed