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White paper: Strengthening Industrial Heat Pump Innovation - Decarbonizing Industrial Heat

To improve the prospects of industrial heat pumps, eight European research institutes have collaborated on a whitepaper which outlines the status of the technology and steps needed to realize the decarbonization potential of industrial heat pumps.


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Radical changes are needed in connection with the current energy supply in the industry if the European ambitions to move towards a net-zero carbon economy by 2050 are to be reached. Denmark has adopted ambitious climate goals which outline how Denmark will decrease its CO2 emissions by 70 % by 2030 and is, furthermore, in the process of creating regulatory boundary conditions that foster the most promising technologies. A dedicated effort to develop high-temperature heat pumps will not only contribute to the achievement of Danish climate ambitions, but it will also place Denmark as a frontrunner when it comes to the development and production of industrial heat pumps. 

From the latest roadmaps, it becomes clear that high-temperature heat pumps are receiving a key-role in the decarbonization of the industrial process heat. Electrically driven heat pumps contribute in terms of an increased overall energy efficiency and by being based on electricity. Thus, industrial heat pumps are not only showing optimal performances in terms of energy efficiency and environmental impact - they are also becoming the preferred choice in terms of levelized cost of heat.

The uptake of industrial heat pumps is currently limited, despite their considerable potential. Thus, it is important to facilitate the uptake on both a national and an international level.

The aim of the white paper is to:

  • Promote heat pumps as the reference low temperature heating technology in industry
  • Demonstrate the application and decarbonization potential of industrial heat pumps
  • Bring industrial heat pumps to the forefront of national and European strategic research and innovation agendas and to stimulate the coordination of research
  • Development and demonstration (RD&D) of industrial heat pumps on a European level

The eight research institutes behind the white paper are: 

  • Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
  • Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)
  • The Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research at the Norwegian institute of Technology (SINTEF)
  • Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT)
  • Universitat Politècnica de Valéncia (UPV)
  • Research Institute of Sweden (RISE)
  • Interstaatliche Hochschule für Technik Buchs (NTB)
  • Danish Technological Institute

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