Industrial Heat Pumps
Generating Heat from Cold & Replacing Gas
The thermal transition in industry and commerce is unstoppable. Fossil fuels are becoming a cost risk, while waste heat often goes to waste. cold.world ENGINEERING turns the tables: We integrate high-performance large-scale heat pumps into your processes that either harness environmental energy or convert your cooling systems into heating systems. This allows you to reduce both your carbon footprint and your energy costs at the same time.
High-Temperature Heat Pumps Using Natural Refrigerants
A common misconception is that heat pumps can only supply low temperatures for underfloor heating. That is incorrect. By using natural refrigerants, we achieve flow temperatures that are also suitable for industrial processes and existing buildings.
- Ammonia (NH3): Ideal for large heat pumps in the megawatt range. Highly efficient at flow temperatures up to approximately 90°C.
- CO2 (R744): Unbeatable for hot water production or processes involving large temperature ranges.
- Propane (R290) & Isobutane (R600a): As high-temperature heat pumps, they enable flow temperatures of over 80°C up to 90°C—making them an ideal replacement for gas boilers.
The Principle: Heating and Cooling in a Single Step
1. Refrigeration system as a heat source:
Instead of letting the heat from your cold storage facilities or processes escape into the air through recoolers, a heat pump raises that temperature level.
2. Combined benefits:
They generate cooling for production and heat for heating and cleaning using a single energy source (dual-use). The COP (coefficient of performance) of the entire system increases significantly.
3. Independence from Fossil:
Every kWh that the heat pump provides no longer has to be generated by the gas boiler.
Applications for Our Heat Pump Solutions
We don’t design solutions for single-family homes, but rather robust systems for industry, business, and municipalities:
- Process heat: Supply of wash water, drying processes, or preheating of boiler feedwater.
- Logistics & Administration: Heating of office buildings and warehouses (often in combination with concrete core activation).
- District Heating & Local Heating: Feeding Heat into Local Heating Networks via Large-Scale Heat Pumps (e.g., river-water heat pumps).
- Food industry: Slaughterhouses and dairies require both a lot of cooling and a lot of hot water (60°C+) for cleaning. This is where heat pumps are unrivaled in efficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions About Large-Scale Heat Pumps
Are there subsidies available for industrial heat pumps? Yes, and significant ones at that. The government often provides financial support for the decarbonization of process heat—for example, through the Federal Funding Program for Energy and Resource Efficiency in Industry (EEW)—with high percentage-based grants. We can help you identify these opportunities.
Can a heat pump replace my steam boiler? Up to certain temperature limits (approx. 100°C–120°C with specialized systems), yes. However, a hybrid solution often makes sense: The heat pump handles the base load and preheating, while the boiler only covers the peak load. This results in massive gas savings.
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