As the first year of the REHEATEAST project draws to an end, this milestone is marked by the publication of two insightful reports that comprehensively explore the current state and future potential of district heating and cooling (DHC) systems in the Eastern Danube region and the broader European context. These publications include detailed data and analyses from all eight participating countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, and Slovenia.

The first report, "District heating and cooling stakeholder survey and analysis of results", offers a detailed examination of the perspectives of five key stakeholder groups: heat producers and district heating utilities, authorities and regulators, technology suppliers and system manufacturers, financiers and investors, as well as consumers and media representatives. It identifies stakeholders’ priorities and perceptions regarding the current state and future outlook of DHC systems. The findings underline that a successful transition to sustainable heating solutions hinges on several critical factors, including strong political support, a solid legal framework, the adoption of advanced technological innovations, and active engagement of all stakeholders, including the general public. Moreover, the report highlights the importance of coordinated actions such as significant investments in building, upgrading, and modernizing DHC infrastructure, along with digital transformation and sector integration. These measures are essential for boosting energy efficiency and reducing dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis can be found here: https://interreg-danube.eu/storage/media/01JENSHPH28E4ZYGKB3B3ED3CR.pdf

The second report, "Analysis of challenges, gaps and good practices in district heating and cooling", begins by defining criteria for evaluating the sustainability of DHC systems. It then provides a thorough review of projects, initiatives, and studies that aim to advance this sector, particularly within Europe. For the eight countries involved in the project, the report delivers an in-depth analysis of the DHC sector, comparing strategic roles, regulatory frameworks, and action plans or instruments supporting centralized heating solutions. It systematically identifies key challenges and development gaps while showcasing notable good practices from both the region and the EU. The analysis can be found here: https://interreg-danube.eu/storage/media/01JFCWJG5F7KEZHAM89Z9MGQKC.pdf

Both reports are available in the REHEATEAST project library: https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/reheateast/library