High temperature heat pumps in energy intensive industries:

In a recent DryFiciency online seminar of experts on high temperature heat pumps in energy intensive industries, core components were analysed that have successfully been developed and adapted for upgrading idle waste heat streams to process heat streams at temperature levels of up to 160°C.  FUCHS Schmierstoffe has been successful in the development of lubricants for the DryFiciency high temperature heat pumps.

The first of many seminars that are dealing with the exiting results of the DryFiciency project Veronika Wilk of the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), showcased the flagship project DryFiciency from lab to reality. DryFiciency focuses on high temperature heat pumps that are able to supply process heat up to 160oC. Three demonstrations in industrial drying are being advanced as the drying processes are very energy intensive and offer huge potential for energy efficiency and therefore to the utilisation of HPs in industrialisation. A number of activities have been underway from component and prototype design to commissioning and demonstration.

The DryFiciency Partners AIT, Fuchs, Chemours, Bitzer, Rotrex and Heaten shared the development and adaption of technologies for upgrading idle waste heat streams to process heat streams at temperature levels of up to 160°C.

There is enough waste heat available in Europe to meet the demands of much of the industry and the entire building stock. 

Following the energy efficiency first principle, it is essential that this surplus energy is put to good use. Waste heat can be recovered and reused in numerous industrial processes as well as in district heating systems.
In the online seminar on 19 March, DryFiciency joined forces with REWARDHeat, ReUseHeat and R-ACES in a discussion on the opportunities to realising the potential of waste heat, and how they can be leveraged using the latest technological solutions. 

This online seminar demonstrated the potential of the available solutions – how heat pumps can help make industry and energy circles and processes more robust for reaching climate neutrality by 2050.

During the recent EHPA and DryFiciency seminar towards greener energy, Michael Bantle Senior Researcher SINTEF Energy Research, explored the key drivers towards the increased acceptance of heat pumps (HP).  Specifically, in Scandinavia HP experience a high acceptance, with heat pumps becoming the „standard“ solution for building heating as well as several industry segments. This has also resulted in a number of Start-Up companies & projects for High Temperature Heat Pumps (HTHP).

In a recent seminar on the Industrial heat pumps for greener European industry hosted by EHPA and the DryFiciency project, Dr. Silvia Madeddu of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), presented the compelling case for industry to get ready for the new era of electrification currently underway.

As part of the EU milestone to make leaps in energy efficiency savings and a 55% GHG emissions cut by 2030, real time industrial high-temperature heat pump test will go through its demonstration paces at Lindum in Norway next month. The Horizon 2020 DryFiciency open loop, high-temperature heat pump demonstrations are the first-ever validations in industrial settings for utilizing heat of up to 155 degrees Celsius, using technology developed by a consortium of Nordic champions Rotrex, Epcon and Scanship led by the leading Scandinavian research organisation SINTEF.

Veronika Wilk and Michael Bantle joined a white paper presentation on the importance of heat pumps on strengthening industrial heat pump innovation in Europe demonstrated by the DryFicicency project.

The first industrial high-temperature heat pump has been put in to demonstration at Wienerberger Österreich GmbH, Utterdorf site, located in Upper Austria. The heat pump utilises industrial processes‘ waste heat for increased efficicency gain.