The Danish amusement park Fårup Sommerland has upgraded its water heating system for its water park and 53-guestroom hotel with a 300kW (85.3TR) air-to-water CO₂ heat pump manufactured by Danish OEM Fenagy.

The CO₂ heat pump replaces an oil-fired boiler that provided heating for the park’s water attractions and an 80kW (22.7TR) R404 heat pump system for the hotel to save Fårup 503,333kWh in annual energy consumption, Henrik Ramlov, Technical Project Manager at Fenagy, told NaturalRefrigerants.com. The savings result in a five-year payback.

“For about five years, Fårup Sommerland wanted a [new] heat pump system for a green transition, but it only became feasible when Fenagy was established in 2020,” Ramlov said. “We first met with Fårup in the spring of 2021, and the Danish contractor Krebs sold the park a CO₂ system last fall.”

The heat pump was commissioned at the start of the 2024 summer season with a 10-year service agreement.

Energy/environmental savings: Fårup used 755,000kWh of energy annually for water heating with the old setup, Ramlov told NaturalRefrigerants.com.

• The park is open yearly from May‒September. The boiler burned 50,000L (13,200gal) of oil every July and August.
• With a COP of 2.4, the R404 heat pump used 225,000kWh of energy annually, providing 58‒60°C (136.4‒1400°F) domestic hot water to the hotel, which operates all year. To ensure the hotel prevented the growth of Legionella bacteria, which may grow in bath water at temperatures as low as 68°C (154.4°F), it added a 60kW (17.1TR) electric heater that used 30,000kWh of energy annually to boost the hot water storage temperature.
• “With a summer COP of 3.2, the CO₂ heat pump, producing up to 80°C (176°F) outlet temperatures, meets the hot water needs of the water park and the hotel, using 251,666kWh of energy annually,” Ramlov told NaturalRefrigerants.com. “Heat production of the 300kW unit reaches 440kW [125.1TR] in the summer,” he added.
• The new system reduces yearly CO₂e emissions by up to 132 metric tons, according to Fenagy.

Heat storage: In Denmark, electrical prices fluctuate hourly. A 100m³ (3,530ft³) tank installed on the new system allows Fårup to operate the CO₂ heat pump at lower electrical prices for additional energy cost savings.

• “The wave pool is heated at night when electricity prices are at their lowest,” Ramlov said, adding that Fårup manages the temperature requirements of the various water attractions with a CTS (current transformers) control system.
• Ramlov noted that the heat pump can stop/start within 12 minutes.

Quick turnaround: According to Ramlov, the process from initial system design in February by Fenagy and subsequent manufacturing to Krebs installing and commissioning the heat pump in May took roughly 11 weeks.

• This past year, Fenagy built, installed and commissioned a 7MW (1,990TR) CO₂ heat pump system in nine months for district heating in Løsning, Denmark.

Quotable: “Fårup Sommerland has launched an impressive upgrade,” Fenagy said. “With their green investment, they promote sustainable solutions and improve the experience for their guests.”

Fenagy carries the ATMO Approved Natural Refrigerants Label, for which the OEM was reapproved in February.