Industrial heat pumps reduce CO₂ emissions

A building materials manufacturer is switching to a sustainable heating solution. Three industrial heat pumps, powered by 100% green electricity, capture energy from warm, damp drying air and convert it into usable heat so that it no longer goes to waste. Result: a reduction in gas consumption and in CO₂ emissions.

Output	4,2 MW
Energy source	100% electricity
Type	reciprocating compressors
Temperature range	from 33°C to 80°C
Coolant	ammonia

CO₂ emissions drastically reduced

This system replaces most of the gas-fuelled heating system, reducing CO₂ emissions. What’s more, the combination of air and heating technologies doesn’t only have ecological benefits, but financial ones too. The combination of temperature, humidity and airflow makes this a technically challenging but not an impossible undertaking.

Residual heat as primary energy source

Drying compressed stone generates a substantial airflow of some 100,000 m³/hr at a temperature of about 44 °C and a relative humidity of up to 92%. That heat used to be untapped. In the future, it will be captured by two heat exchangers that transfer the energy to water at about 33 °C. This circular approach makes optimum use of residual heat that would otherwise go to waste.

3 heat pumps raise the temperature to 80 °C

Three heat pumps with a thermal capacity of 1.4 MW each raise the temperature of the lukewarm water to a suitable temperature of 80 °C. The hot water is then used again to heat the dryer, creating a self-sufficient, efficient heating circuit. Each heat pump will be sustainably powered by 100% green energy.