At a glance
The HighLift heat pump from Olvondo Technology recycles waste heat or district heating into high-temperature process steam or heat.
High-temperature heat is required for numerous industrial processes, and the need for it will continue to grow. However, most industrial process heat is still provided by inefficient fossil-fuel-fired boiler systems.
These systems not only produce greenhouse gas emissions, they also cannot make use of waste heat – an energy source that has already been paid for.
The HighLift heat pump is an eco-friendly alternative to electric, oil and gas-fired electric boilers. It uses waste heat and district heating to produce high-value process heat.
The unique technology can increase temperatures by as much as 100 °C, making it possible to recycle low-temperature energy sources into high-temperature heat. Likewise, the heat pump can deliver steam at temperatures up to 200 °C.
The HighLift uses environment-friendly helium as its working medium, and is therefore suitable for any application. Helium is non-toxic, non-flammable and has a global warming potential (GWP) of 0.
The HighLift heat pump reduces the carbon footprint of industry by cutting CO₂ emissions equivalent to emissions of 550 private cars each year.
It also cuts operational costs by using energy that has already been generated in the form of waste heat.
In addition, the HighLift heat pump provides cooling as a side effect of heating, making the investment doubly attractive for industries with both heating and cooling needs, such as the food industry.
High-temperature heat pumps (HTHP) are not widespread in industry, primarily because there are very few technologies available that can deliver temperatures above 100 °C.
There is, however, tremendous potential for the use of heat pumps in industrial processes. In Europe alone, it is estimated that a total of 174 TWh, or 8.7 per cent, of all heat demand in industry can be provided by heat pumps (for temperatures up to 150 °C).
Key markets for the HighLift heat pump include the process and dairy markets as well as other industries with high steam consumption.
Olvondo Technology is currently developing a next-generation HTHP based on the Stirling engine design in a project funded under the Fast Track to Innovation scheme, which is part of the European Innovation Council pilot. Commercial roll-out of the new heat pumps is scheduled for 2021.
Stefano Vittor
CEO
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