Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PUSH2HEAT (Pushing forward the market potential and business models of waste heat valorisation by full-scale demonstration of next-gen heat upgrade technologies in various industrial contexts.)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-10-01 al 2024-03-31
One of the European Commission’s four main priorities is building a climate-neutral, green, fair and social Europe, identifying among the priority actions “accelerating the transition to renewables and increasing energy efficiency”. In this context, industry must play a major role in the energy transition to meet the targets of climate neutrality. Increased energy efficiency through the recovery and upgrade of waste heat is the first step towards decarbonization in the industrial sector. Industrial process heat has a significant weight in the total energy demand of the European industry: it accounts for about 66 % (1,952 TWh/a in EU 2015) of the total final energy demand. By combining the two market segments for applications up to 100 °C and from 100 °C to 200° C, HP technologies could potentially deliver 730 TWh/a or 37 % of the process heat in industry. Overall, great application potential for HP technologies has been identified in the food, paper, and chemical industries.
The PUSH2HEAT project aims at pushing forward the market potential and business models of heat upgrade technologies, by full scale demonstration of heat upgrade systems in relevant industrial sectors with high waste heat recovery and upgrading potential, with supply temperature in the range of 90-160ºC.
Although different heat upgrade technologies exist, the singularity of each industrial process, the technical barriers for successful integration and the lack of experiences of heat upgrading in temperatures above 100 ºC, make difficult the wide deployment of such systems for the targeted temperatures. To overcome these challenges, PUSH2HEAT aims to develop and demonstrate four different heat upgrade technologies, including the most relevant electrically and thermally driven heat pumps for the mentioned target temperatures.
The heat upgrade technologies will be integrated into different industrial plants in the paper and chemical industries, for long-term full-scale demonstration, making use of process and cogeneration (CHP) waste heat sources and delivering process steam.
PUSH2HEAT results and lessons learnt could address the valorisation of 5% of the relevant available industrial waste heat at EU level. Therefore, PUSH2HEAT would trigger an energy efficiency increase in EU industries estimated at yearly 3,632.8 GWh/yr Primary Energy Savings and 827.8 ktCO2/yr emissions reduction by 2030, derived from switching from fossil-based supply units to the proposed heat upgrade technologies.
The PUSH2HEAT project aims at pushing forward the market potential and business models of heat upgrade technologies, by full scale demonstration of heat upgrade systems in relevant industrial sectors with high waste heat recovery and upgrading potential, with supply temperature in the range of 90-160ºC.
Although different heat upgrade technologies exist, the singularity of each industrial process, the technical barriers for successful integration and the lack of experiences of heat upgrading in temperatures above 100 ºC, make difficult the wide deployment of such systems for the targeted temperatures. To overcome these challenges, PUSH2HEAT aims to develop and demonstrate four different heat upgrade technologies, including the most relevant electrically and thermally driven heat pumps for the mentioned target temperatures.
The heat upgrade technologies will be integrated into different industrial plants in the paper and chemical industries, for long-term full-scale demonstration, making use of process and cogeneration (CHP) waste heat sources and delivering process steam.
PUSH2HEAT results and lessons learnt could address the valorisation of 5% of the relevant available industrial waste heat at EU level. Therefore, PUSH2HEAT would trigger an energy efficiency increase in EU industries estimated at yearly 3,632.8 GWh/yr Primary Energy Savings and 827.8 ktCO2/yr emissions reduction by 2030, derived from switching from fossil-based supply units to the proposed heat upgrade technologies.
During the first 18 months of the project, the activity has been mainly focused on the development of the four heat upgrade technologies (HUT):
• Design of the 1.2 MW HTHP for steam generation at 2.3 bar(a) from waste heat at 40ºC.
• Design of the 2.8 MW HTHP for steam generation up to 3.3 bar(a) from waste heat at 85ºC.
• Design of the 340 kW Absorption Heat Transformer for steam generation at 3.3 bar(a) from waste heat at 85ºC.
• Adaptation and optimization of the thermochemical heat transformer technology from current temperature levels (90-140ºC to 140-185ºC) to new temperature levels (60-90ºC to 105-160ºC).
These efforts have been undertaken in parallel to the definition of the demo sites. Waste heat and heat sink requirements have been analyzed, and the integration concept has been defined. Basic engineering is advanced or finalized, depending on the demo site. Heat pump integration and commissioning will occur in the next period.
Additionally, alongside the main technological efforts focused on HUT development, supporting activities have been undertaken. These activities aim to provide potential stakeholders with essential information, crucial for understanding the potential of these technologies. In this regard, the following two results must be mentioned:
• Compiling information and key issues on process integration and steam production with Heat Upgrade Technologies, reported in a public deliverable available on the project website (D2.5 ‘Process integration and steam production’).
• Providing an overview of the most important techno-economic issues affecting the different HUTs being developed in PUSH2HEAT, reported in an easy-to-read document for potential stakeholders such as industrial plant owners, energy managers, engineering companies, energy service companies, research entities, industrial associations, and politicians (D2.6 ‘Techno-economic map of heat upgrade technologies’, soon available in the project website).
• Design of the 1.2 MW HTHP for steam generation at 2.3 bar(a) from waste heat at 40ºC.
• Design of the 2.8 MW HTHP for steam generation up to 3.3 bar(a) from waste heat at 85ºC.
• Design of the 340 kW Absorption Heat Transformer for steam generation at 3.3 bar(a) from waste heat at 85ºC.
• Adaptation and optimization of the thermochemical heat transformer technology from current temperature levels (90-140ºC to 140-185ºC) to new temperature levels (60-90ºC to 105-160ºC).
These efforts have been undertaken in parallel to the definition of the demo sites. Waste heat and heat sink requirements have been analyzed, and the integration concept has been defined. Basic engineering is advanced or finalized, depending on the demo site. Heat pump integration and commissioning will occur in the next period.
Additionally, alongside the main technological efforts focused on HUT development, supporting activities have been undertaken. These activities aim to provide potential stakeholders with essential information, crucial for understanding the potential of these technologies. In this regard, the following two results must be mentioned:
• Compiling information and key issues on process integration and steam production with Heat Upgrade Technologies, reported in a public deliverable available on the project website (D2.5 ‘Process integration and steam production’).
• Providing an overview of the most important techno-economic issues affecting the different HUTs being developed in PUSH2HEAT, reported in an easy-to-read document for potential stakeholders such as industrial plant owners, energy managers, engineering companies, energy service companies, research entities, industrial associations, and politicians (D2.6 ‘Techno-economic map of heat upgrade technologies’, soon available in the project website).
One of the expected outcomes of the PUSH2HEAT project is the upscaling and improvement of techno-economic performance of HUT in order to enable integration and adaptation to more industrial processes. In this sense, the project significance and impact is expected to come from the delivery of a set of technology improvements enabling easier upscaling and/or temperature adaptation while aiming at higher system efficiencies and reducing overall costs. Based on the performed work during the first 18 months of the project, the following results beyond the state of the art should be highlighted:
- A 1,2 MW HTHP with piston compressor for steam generation at 2,3 bar(a) (123ºC) from waste heat at 40ºC. It’s a 2 stage compression cycle being able to provide a temperature lift of 83K with an expected COP of 2,3. Technology improvements: improved standardization and modularity of the HTHPs production enabling a reduction of integration costs as well as easy system upscaling.
- A 2,8 MW HTHP with turbocompressor for steam generation up to 3,3 bar(a) (137ºC) from waste heat at 85ºC, providing an expected COP of 3,6. Technology improvements: hermetic centrifugal compressor with magnetic bearings reducing maintenance costs; improved motor-compressor assembly and control system for reduced size and maximized efficiency.
- An upscaled and optimized design of a 340 kW AHT unit for steam generation at 3,3 bar(a) (137ºC) from waste heat at 85ºC, being able to provide upgraded heat with an expected electric COP of 25 and thermal efficiency of 0,48. Technology improvements: optimized thermal and hydraulic design of the heat exchangers and auxiliary components; advanced control system for optimized operation efficiency with high robustness and reliability.
- Optimized thermochemical heat transformer technology adapted from current temperature levels (90-140ºC to 140-185ºC) to the new temperature levels (60-90ºC to 105-160ºC). A demo lighthouse unit has been showcased with a thermal efficiency of 47% at an output capacity of 0,43MW, scenario showing the applicability of the technology inside a carbon capture process. Technology improvements: adapted working range addressing a larger set of industrial processes in the MW-scale; improved recuperator design; improved electric COP from 15 to 30.
The next step in the project involves the manufacturing of the heat upgrade units and their integration into the corresponding demonstration sites. Preliminary estimates of the energetic and environmental impacts indicate significant benefits. Specifically, the potential primary energy savings is estimated at 15.235 MWh/year, while the reduction in CO2 emissions reduction is estimated at 3.013 tons per year across all the demo sites. These figures highlight the substantial positive effects on both energy efficiency and environmental sustainability that the implementation of these heat upgrade units is expected to achieve.
- A 1,2 MW HTHP with piston compressor for steam generation at 2,3 bar(a) (123ºC) from waste heat at 40ºC. It’s a 2 stage compression cycle being able to provide a temperature lift of 83K with an expected COP of 2,3. Technology improvements: improved standardization and modularity of the HTHPs production enabling a reduction of integration costs as well as easy system upscaling.
- A 2,8 MW HTHP with turbocompressor for steam generation up to 3,3 bar(a) (137ºC) from waste heat at 85ºC, providing an expected COP of 3,6. Technology improvements: hermetic centrifugal compressor with magnetic bearings reducing maintenance costs; improved motor-compressor assembly and control system for reduced size and maximized efficiency.
- An upscaled and optimized design of a 340 kW AHT unit for steam generation at 3,3 bar(a) (137ºC) from waste heat at 85ºC, being able to provide upgraded heat with an expected electric COP of 25 and thermal efficiency of 0,48. Technology improvements: optimized thermal and hydraulic design of the heat exchangers and auxiliary components; advanced control system for optimized operation efficiency with high robustness and reliability.
- Optimized thermochemical heat transformer technology adapted from current temperature levels (90-140ºC to 140-185ºC) to the new temperature levels (60-90ºC to 105-160ºC). A demo lighthouse unit has been showcased with a thermal efficiency of 47% at an output capacity of 0,43MW, scenario showing the applicability of the technology inside a carbon capture process. Technology improvements: adapted working range addressing a larger set of industrial processes in the MW-scale; improved recuperator design; improved electric COP from 15 to 30.
The next step in the project involves the manufacturing of the heat upgrade units and their integration into the corresponding demonstration sites. Preliminary estimates of the energetic and environmental impacts indicate significant benefits. Specifically, the potential primary energy savings is estimated at 15.235 MWh/year, while the reduction in CO2 emissions reduction is estimated at 3.013 tons per year across all the demo sites. These figures highlight the substantial positive effects on both energy efficiency and environmental sustainability that the implementation of these heat upgrade units is expected to achieve.