A state of the art heat recovery system coupled with a pioneering 139 °C steam producing heat pump has been commissioned as a pilot project by Philip Morris International (PMI) at their innovation and training centre in Bologna. The system is provided by Dutch System Integrator JOA Air Solutions using a high-temperature heat pump from German start-up, SPH Sustainable Process Heat. The pilot unit has shown capability to reduce the gas consumption for the main dryer by 40-50% in the last months of operation, the system also recovered 20-30% of water from the exhaust.
“This is a breakthrough for the industry,” said Martin Tukker, Managing Director of JOA Air Solutions. “A heat pump capable of delivering this volume of steam, and so seamlessly integrated into the drying process, sets a new benchmark in the processing industry. We’re proud to have collaborated with PMI, who have shown true leadership by being first movers.”
This energy efficient system directly produces steam for industrial drying processes using a high-temperature heat pump. The solution not only recovers energy but also water from the exhaust by integrating direct heat recovery from hot exhaust gases with a two-stage high-temperature heat pump. The result is a tightly engineered system that would be capable of supplying over half of the heat required for PMI’s dryers, entirely from recovered energy.
“This is the type of innovative technology that could support manufacturers from various industries with climate transitions, sustainability goals and lead towards more energy efficiency initiatives,” according to Tukker.
The system upgrades residual heat from 36 degrees Celsius in two stages: First to 80°C, then further to 139°C at 3.5 bar absolute pressure. The created steam is directly used in drying operations, which are typically among the most energy-intensive steps in manufacturing. Despite the unusually large temperature lift, the system maintains high efficiency, achieving a coefficient of performance (CoP) of up to 2.5.
This is a great example of efficiency combined with state of the art engineering to recover energy lost from the dryer and compressing it back in the form of usable energy. This concept can be replicated in many other manufacturing industries to process steam and decarbonize various value chains.
“At PMI we believe in leveraging innovation to address system challenges and seeking solutions through strategic collaboration. This project is a great example of collaboration to deliver on an industry challenge that not only accelerates our path to Net Zero, but also the industry as a whole. Like with every large and innovative project, we had some challenges to overcome,” said Arjun Arya, Manager Environmental Sustainability. “But we knew we were pushing boundaries in the right direction. The results clearly show how much potential there is in applying heat pump technology at this scale to thermally reuse the energy in an efficient manner.”
The heat pump itself is supplied by German Heat Pump Supplier SPH Sustainable Process Heat. They were selected as they are one of only a few in the world capable of reliably operating at such high output temperatures. SPH’s systems are designed specifically for process industries seeking to decarbonize heat without compromising performance.
Project Images
About the Partners
JOA Air Solutions
JOA Air Solutions, based in the Netherlands, designs, builds and implements tailor-made emission control and heat recovery systems for the largest, most complex industrial plants. This includes Dust Collection Systems, Scrubbers and the integration of Heat Pumps and Heat Exchangers. This way, JOA improves processes related to Healthy Work Environment, Explosion Safety, Emission Limits and Energy Efficiency. Read more about JOA Air Solutions.
SPH Sustainable Process Heat
SPH Sustainable Process Heat, headquartered in Germany, specializes in high-temperature heat pumps tailored for industrial applications. Their systems are among the few in the world capable of producing steam at temperatures up to 175°C and hot water as well as thermal oil to 180 °C. This October, SPH was acquired by Copeland, a global leader in sustainable climate solutions, to expand their industrial heating portfolio. www.spheat.de
Philip Morris International
Philip Morris International including its subsidiaries is a leading international consumer goods company, with a global workforce of approximately 83,100. PMI’s second Climate Transition Plan presents an updated and integrated strategy detailing actions, timelines, and targets to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its value chain by 2040: PMI publishes updated climate transition plan | PMI – Philip Morris International.
