Curious to know how heat pumps are reducing the dairy sector’s carbon footprint?
Look no further. A major dairy cooperative has swapped its gas for a new system featuring two large heat pumps, cutting emissions by 36%.
The webinar “Towards a Low-Carbon Future: Innovations in Dairy Sustainability”, recorded on 19 November 2024, discussed the compelling case study of Friesland Campina’s Maasdam factory.
The session brought together experts from BETTED – the EU project funded under the LIFE Clean Energy Transition sub-programme. The project, which counts the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) among its partners, seeks to boost the uptake of industrial heat pumps in the milk processing industry.
Tori Fourie, Friesland Campina’s Sustainability Program Manager, walked the audience through Maasdam’s journey to sustainability. Faced with the challenge of transferring production from another facility without increasing emissions, the factory implemented a combination of conventional heat pumps and the innovative Olvondo steam heat pump. The project demonstrated how waste heat, previously expelled through cooling towers, could be captured and upgraded to power various production processes, including pasteurization.
The results? Significant energy savings and a 36% reduction in carbon emissions – a powerful proof of the impact industrial heat pumps can deliver.
Next, Stefano Vittor from Olvondo Technology took centre stage to present the HighLift steam heat pump installed in the Maasdam factory a month ago. Unlike traditional systems, this heat pump operates entirely in the gas phase, providing greater resilience to fluctuations in source and sink temperatures. Stefano emphasized the system’s ability to achieve temperature lifts of up to 150°C, making it ideal for industrial applications requiring high-temperature steam.
He highlighted the Maasdam project as a practical demonstration of the technology’s potential, where the heat pump reduced CO₂ emissions by approximately 1,100 tonnes annually.
Vittor also noted the scalability and versatility of the system, which is already commercially available and operational in nine installations across Europe.
Fourie and Vittor’s messages were echoed by Panagiotis Stathopoulos from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), who kicked off the webinar introducing the potential of industrial heat pumps.
He outlined the role of these systems in recovering waste heat and reducing carbon emissions while maintaining efficient energy use. Citing real-world examples, such as Arla Foods’ retrofit project, Panagiotis demonstrated how heat pumps can repurpose exhaust heat to supply processes with temperatures of up to 90°C, achieving significant reductions in CO₂ emissions. He also introduced advanced heat pump technologies under development at DLR, including a Brayton-cycle-based system capable of reaching 230°C while providing simultaneous cooling at -30°C.
These innovations, he explained, are crucial for bridging the gap between research and industrial application in high-temperature processes. Stathopoulos summarised it best, by stating: “Industrial heat is (still) the sleeping giant of the energy transition.”
Are you ready to awaken this sleeping giant with us? Check out more info on the BETTED project website and follow us on the project’s LinkedIn page to stay tuned for the next webinars in the series.
