SPIRIT is a EU funded Project under the Horizon Europe Programme (GA n. 101069672). The project kicked off in September 2022 and it lasts for 42 months. It has the ambition of enabling industrial heat pump technology to become the reference climate neutral technology to cover industrial heat demand for temperatures up to 160°C by 2030. The project wants to implement three full-scale demonstrations of heat pump technologies integrated at three different process sites in the paper and food & beverage sectors with sink temperatures between 135°C and 160°C.

The Consortium consists of 17 partners: 3 industrial end-users, 4 technology suppliers, 5 knowledge providers, 1 actor involved in market analysis, 1 player engaged in the development of business models and 2 associations committed in the dissemination of the projects’ results. These partners represent the main actors in the value chain of heat pump technologies and will enable the SPIRIT project to achieve its targeted industrial, technical and non-technical objectives as well as the future commercial and economic success of large-scale heat pumps.

Expected results

The SPIRIT project targets the following results:

• Demonstration of stable operation: It will demonstrate the stable operation of three full-scale industrial heat pumps integrated into the production facilities of a sugar company (Tiense Suikerraffinaderij), a prawn processing plant (Stella Polaris), and a paper mill (Smurfit Westrock). Three technology providers (Spilling Projects Partner, Mayekawa, and GEA Refrigeration Germany) will design and construct the heat pumps, which will recover waste heat and upgrade it to sink temperatures of up to 160 °C. These demonstrations will show that industrial heat pumps can be incorporated into existing processes without disrupting production, while also increasing technical knowledge and providing guidelines for integration. A successful demonstration will bring high-temperature industrial heat pump technology to Technology Readiness Level 8.

• Improvement of technical and economic performance: The project will contribute to enhancing the technical and economic performance of large-scale heat pumps, thereby accelerating market uptake. This will be achieved by developing models to facilitate the integration of industrial heat pumps into current and future processes.

• Maximization of impact through strategies and tools: The project will develop strategies to maximize the impact of industrial heat pumps. Business cases will be analyzed, and innovative business models and contractual agreements will be developed and refined. The consortium will study the barriers hindering the deployment of heat pump technologies and propose relevant solutions. In addition, a web-based tool will be created to enable end-users to assess the benefits of industrial heat pumps for their specific applications.

• Awareness raising and knowledge dissemination: The project will increase awareness and knowledge of large-scale heat pumps among selected target groups, including industrial end-users, technology providers, policymakers, consultants, and students. A summer school will be organized to facilitate knowledge transfer, and policy briefs will be prepared and disseminated to influence decision-makers at national, regional, and European levels.