SPH

SPH Sustainable Process Heat GmbH develops and supplies high-temperature industrial heat pumps for decarbonising process heat. Based in Overath, Germany, SPH’s core product, the ThermBooster™, upgrades low-temperature waste heat to deliver hot water and steam at process-relevant temperatures. Today, ThermBooster™ systems reach up to 180 °C,and even beyond 200 °C when combined with complementary technologies. 

The ThermBooster™ is a closed-loop, compression-type heat pump using low-GWP HFO refrigerants such as R1233zd(E) or R1336mzz(Z) for up to 165 °C and natural hydrocarbons (butane, pentane) for up to 180 °C. Each system provides 300–800 kW per compressor, scalable to 2.5 MW in single-stage configurations or higher in multi-stage systems. The custom 4-cylinder piston compressor, driven by a high-efficiency IE4/IE5 motor, features an optimized valve design reducing pressure losses by up to 30 % and integrated oil conditioning for reliable long-term operation. 

Applications include paper, food & beverage, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries, where the ThermBooster™ replaces fossil-fuel boilers and significantly cuts CO₂ emissions. SPH’s mission is to make sustainable process heat both technically and economically viable at scale through advanced compressor design, modular scalability, and integration engineering. 

Decarbonising industrial heat above 100 °C has historically been a challenge because conventional heat pumps were limited to ~80–90 °C. SPH Sustainable Process Heat GmbH closes this gap with the ThermBooster™, a high-temperature heat pump designed for industrial-grade applications and already proven in real projects across Europe. 

The ThermBooster™ is a closed-loop compression system using low-GWP HFO and natural refrigerants. It provides process heat and steams up to 180 °C, with variants capable of exceeding 200 °C. A single compressor delivers 300–800 kW, scalable to multi-MW through parallel or two-stage configurations. Its custom high-temperature piston compressor, with integrated oil conditioning and optimized valve system, achieves up to 30 % lower pressure losses compared to standard compressors, improving efficiency and reliability. 

Systems can be configured as water–water, water–thermal oil, or water–steam units. The steam version integrates a combined condenser/evaporator to generate steam up to ~9 bar(a) (≈170 °C). Fast load control via inverter drive allows operation between 33 % and 100 % output. 

A current flagship installation is the AHEAD heat pump project at Takeda Manufacturing Austria AG in Vienna (commissioning 2025). Here, SPH’s ThermBooster™ produces 1.7 MW of steam at 120 °C (≈1.9 bar(a)) using R600 (n-butane), while a Spilling steam compressor further boosts steam to 184 °C and ~11 bar(a). The system achieves a COP of ~4.4 and targets ≈80 % CO₂ reduction—a benchmark for sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing. 

By focusing on industrial temperatures, scalable design, and integration engineering, SPH enables manufacturers to replace fossil boilers and electrify heat efficiently.