Enerin AS, a Norwegian SME founded in 2017, specializes in industrial High-Temperature Heat Pumps (HTHP) called “HoegTemp,” which reach up to 250°C. Their engineers lead in HTHP technology and energy efficiency projects. In Europe, there's a high demand for heating between 100°C and 200°C, especially in food production and drying. Currently, 77% of this heat comes from fossil fuel boilers, but HTHPs could meet a majority of this demand, reducing emissions. The industrial heat pump market is projected to grow over 15% annually until 2030. Enerin, with its advanced HoegTemp technology, is poised for success. The HoegTemp, featuring 3, 6, and 12-cylinder compressors with integrated heat exchangers, operate on the Stirling cycle with helium as refrigerant. Helium will be replaced by clean hydrogen for additional efficiency during the project. HoegTemp achieves a high coefficient of performance (COP) of 50%-60% of Carnot at high temperatures. With one pilot installation in Norway running over 6000 hours, and three new contracts signed, Enerin’s HoegTemp is at TRL 7. We aim for TRL 9 by 2027 (TRL8 with hydrogen). By increasing capacity, standardizing systems, and reducing component costs and complexity, Enerin aims to cut installation and operation costs by 50%-70%, compared to current cost making its HTHPs the most cost-effective option for industrial heating in Europe. Enerin has secured funding for R&D and prototypes but is facing challenges in raising private capital. The company is now seeking €2.495 million in EIC grants and up to €10 million in equity or quasi-equity funding to enhance efficiency, scalability and competitiveness needed for future market expansion.

I-UPS aims to develop and validate a first-of-a-kind (FOAK), cost-effective and reliable high-temperature industrial heat pump fully integrated in a flexible energy system for industrial medium temperature (~400°C) heat decarbonisation. I-UPS validate up to TRL 5 a first-of-a-kind high-temperature heat pump (HTHP), based on Stirling cycles and exploiting a non-toxic, inert, zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and zero global warming potential (GWP) fluid, able to deliver decarbonized heat up to 400°C. No other commercial alternatives are available achieving this heat delivery temperature at efficiencies higher than 100%. The developed heat pump provides enhanced performance thanks to the optimization of key subcomponents, such as optimized static and dynamic sealing solutions and compact heat exchangers enabled by genetic algorithm based design optimization and additive manufacturing techniques. I-UPS provides also a seamless integration of the developed high temperature heat pump in flexible energy systems including molten salts based thermal energy storage (TES) for on-demand decarbonized industrial heat based on RES electricity. This effective integration will be attained thanks to the design and development of purposely-optimized compact heat exchangers (pressurized gas to molten salts) which will ensure reliable high temperature operation and fast ‘plug-and-play’ installation. The integrated heat pump configuration proposed by I-UPS will enable higher modularity, flexibility, and efficiency for heating decarbonisation also leveraging waste heat recovery and contributing to the circularity of the industrial sector. I-UPS will contribute to heating flexible electrification, permitting a broader penetration of RES and facilitating and maximizing the market penetration of heat pumps in industrial contexts.

SUSHEAT develops and validates, up to TRL 5, 3 novel enabling technologies: high-temperature heat pump (HT-HP), Phase Change Material (PCM) bio-inspired Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system, and Control & Integration Twin (CIT) system; for heat upgrade in top-level labs. It will attain an efficient heat upgrade up to 150-250 °C thanks to the use the innovative Stirling-based HT-HP, working with hellium and enlarging the industrial exploitability of heat upgrade systems, reaching a COP up to 2.8 for temperature ratios of 1.2. The integration of innovative TES will ensure a reliable, flexible, and customizable heat delivery with full decoupling from any waste heat recovery and renewables availability. Moreover, its CIT will provide user-friendly tools and a digital twin for the control system and advising industrial stakeholders, based on smart decision-making algorithms. SUSHEAT will bring an effective self-assessment of the most suited heat upgrade system integration including not only its key enabling components but, beyond, also leveraging on off-the-self RES-based units, particularly solar thermal collectors even enlarging the feasibility of Concentrating Solar Power systems that can extend its operation working at low temperature. Two case-studies are replicated for validation at TRL5, and 4 additional cases are analysed in-depth to cover other sectors as Pulp & Paper, Beverages, Petrochemical, Textile & leather and basic metals. By developing industry-focused self-assessment tools, and directly engaging different industrial stakeholders, SUSHEAT will contribute to identify the target industrial processes and sites which would benefit from the concept, rising awareness of various heat upgrade benefits within the industry and providing solutions to maximize the industrial efficiency while contributing to the sector’s decarbonization, reducing the GHG emissions up to 145 gCO2/kWh (excluding solar contribution and based on EU 2020 intensity and the use NG).