Breakthrough High Temperature Heat Pump Technology for Foundation Industry Decarbonisation

Heat is a significant element of many Foundation Industry processes and accounts for around 70% of all industrial energy demand. Currently, vast amounts of this heat are used once and then wasted. Quite literally disappearing up a chimney or down a drain. Heat recovery company Futraheat aims to unlock the ability of foundation industries to capture this waste heat with the development of an innovative high-temperature heat pump.

"Heat pumps are nothing new, they've been used very effectively for over a century to heat buildings, for example," says Tom Taylor, founder and CEO of Futraheat. "However, there have been a number of barriers to industrial uptake. These include economics – gas has historically been a cheap energy source – and technical obstacles, as existing heat pumps have struggled to deliver the high temperatures industry requires cost-effectively and reliably."

Futraheat has developed a new type of compressor, which sits at the heart of a heat pump. Using funding from the Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge, the company worked with energy consultants Projective Ltd to move the innovative design for this TurboClaw compressor from lab to full-scale demonstrator, creating a pioneering high-temperature heat pump.

The Turboclaw compressor is ideally suited to the typical heat demands of the industry. Operating at reduced speeds and without oil, its simple design has the potential to reduce the cost of production, operation and maintenance.

“The project demonstrated we were able to recover, at scale, the most common forms of industrial waste heat – below 100°C – and turn them into the high temperatures – around 130°C – required by industry while competing commercially with burning fossil fuels.”

During the project, the team developed the compressor technology for high-temperature applications and created new designs for associated heat pump equipment. The result – a 300-kilowatt heat pump demonstrator – was tested in an industrial factory simulation.

"The project demonstrated we were able to recover, at scale, the most common forms of industrial waste heat, which are below 100°C, and turn them into the higher temperatures, around 130°C, required by industry, while also competing commercially with burning fossil fuels," says Taylor.

The next step is to develop a commercial product, and Futraheat is already underway with plans for 'Greensteam', which builds on the project with designs for a steam-generating heat pump. "Most industry in the UK has been built on fossil-fuel generated heat, which very often comes in the form of steam. Rather than require businesses to invest in completely new infrastructure, Greensteam will offer them the opportunity to decarbonise by capturing waste heat and transforming it into steam to drive many of their factory processes," explains Taylor.

As well as the Foundation Industries, the technology has the potential to benefit other industries. The original demonstrator will be piloted with a UK brewery, and Futraheat is also developing a production-ready unit for piloting at a major pharmaceutical site.

"Net zero targets mean many industries are looking for alternatives to burning fossil fuels. Our technology allows them to electrify their heat and reduce emissions cost-effectively," says Taylor. "The opportunity is massive: high-temperature heat pumps can meet around 20% of all industry heat requirements. In Europe alone, the widespread adoption of Futraheat heat pumps could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 80 million tonnes per year."

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