Innovative heat-pump is powered by natural refrigerants

The AHEAD (Advanced Heat Pump Demonstrator) project, a collaboration between the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Takeda pharmaceuticals, BMK Climate and Energy Fund aims to reduce CO₂ emissions up 90 percent at one of Takeda’s largest production sites in Vienna. The system uses 100 percent natural refrigerants powered heat pump combined with steam compressors reaching temperatures up to 200-260°C, writes the AIT in a press release.

The innovation of this project is the steam-generating heat pump. It is operated exclusively with natural refrigerants and combined with steam compressors to achieve the highest heat utilization temperatures to date. According to Wolfgang Hribernik, Head of the Center for Energy at AIT and NEFI network coordinator, “Heat pumps will be an essential element of the energy infrastructure in the future, also in the industrial context. The AHEAD project sets a new milestone with the development of a steam-generating heat pump operating exclusively with natural refrigerants at 11 bar and 184°C. In the temperature range below 200°C, the use of industrial heat pumps has already been established in many places.”

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Partnership between Industry and Research Institutions

Austria’s Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) sees this collaboration between industry and research institutions as a key factor in achieving climate goals. Volker Schaffler, Head of Energy and Environmental Technologies at BMK said, “Our collaboration with Takeda is a very good example of how we can bring an innovative concept to life. When industry, research and administration develop solutions together and create the necessary conditions that are needed to achieve our climate and energy targets everyone will win including our citizens. We see our offers as a central lever for achieving our common climate goals.”

New heat pump makes sustainable heating simpler and cheaper

In order to reduce CO2 emissions, we need to heat our homes differently. The central heating boiler system (condensing boiler) is making way for a heat pump system and even a heat network for the entire neighbourhood.

Bernd Vogl, Managing Director of the Climate and Energy Fund adds that “Industry is one of the central levers for achieving European and national climate targets. Around a third of all energy is consumed here, and the sector is responsible for almost 50 percent of domestic greenhouse gas emissions. A comprehensive transformation is therefore needed to become climate-neutral. This mammoth task cannot be accomplished by a single person alone. In order to make industrial processes more sustainable, innovative technologies must be developed. Companies, research institutions and the public sector must work shoulder to shoulder – as is the case here with this ‘AHEAD’ project. I am very proud that we can do our part through our flagship energy region, NEFI – New Energy for Industry”.

NEFI Innovation Network

The NEFI (New Energy for Industry) innovation network was launched in 2020 by Austria’s Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology (BMK). The main goal of this network is to create a platform to promote research and development in industrial energy efficiency projects. It also offers support to companies in transitioning to renewable energy sources.

Wolfgang Hribernik explains that “With NEFI innovation network, we have an opportunity to identify and evaluate new ideas on energy efficiency in industry as well as to scientifically support the implementation of new key technologies such as these with industrial users.”