Construction Starts on New District Heating Centre in Oftringen

Key Takeaways

• Fuwi broke ground on 4 November 2026 on the FWZ3 district heating centre at the Erzo Waste-to-Energy plant in Oftringen.
• The converted residue hall will use an extra 15 MW of waste heat, backed by a 15 MW reserve boiler.
• Commissioning is scheduled for autumn 2027.
• Phase one links Erzo to the Mühlegasse energy centre in Zofingen and merges the Stwz and Primeo Energie networks.
• The full network is to supply up to 10,000 properties and save around 30,000 t of CO₂ a year.

Fernwärme Unteres Wiggertal AG (Fuwi) has started building a new district heating centre on the site of the Erzo Waste-to-Energy plant in Oftringen, Switzerland. The symbolic groundbreaking took place on 4 November 2026.

From autumn 2027, the facility is to make additional heat from waste incineration usable. It will also enable the further expansion of the district heating network in the lower Wiggertal region.

Residue Hall Becomes Energy Centre

For the new district heating centre, designated FWZ3, the existing residue hall on the Erzo plant site is being converted. The centre will use an additional 15 MW of waste heat from waste incineration for district heating. This is intended to replace fossil fuels, reduce CO₂ emissions and allow further properties to be supplied with district heating.

To cover peak demand and provide redundancy, a further 15 MW reserve boiler will also be installed. This reserve boiler is to ensure reliable operation of the network at very low outdoor temperatures. In addition, it will operate during inspection and maintenance work at the Waste-to-Energy plant.

Construction runs from autumn 2026 to autumn 2027, with commissioning scheduled for autumn 2027.

“With the new district heating centre, we can use additional energy from waste incineration to supply more properties with district heating in the future. In doing so, we are creating an important basis for sustainable heat supply in the lower Wiggertal,” said Michael Schneider, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fuwi.

Part of the First Expansion Phase

The new district heating centre is part of the first expansion phase of the network. This phase also includes the connecting pipeline between the Erzo plant in Oftringen and the Mühlegasse energy centre in Zofingen. This pipeline has been under construction since October 2026.

In this phase, the existing heating networks of Stwz in Zofingen and Primeo Energie in Oftringen will be integrated into a joint network. Meanwhile, property owners along the new pipeline can have their buildings connected to the district heating network while the pipeline is being laid.

Second Phase Tied to New Waste-to-Energy Plant

In a second phase, starting with the replacement of the Erzo waste-to-energy plant, the network is to be extended to further areas of the lower Wiggertal. Additionally, the district heating centre will be expanded. Planned extensions include Aarburg, Rothrist and Strengelbach. These plans also cover further parts of Zofingen and Oftringen.

Once fully built, the network is to supply up to 10,000 properties with heat. It will also save around 30,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. New customers are to receive heat from the new network from autumn 2028.

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