Learn more about the work being carried out surrounding the project's demonstration sites:
Demo Site 1 in Weissenborn, Germany
Industry in which it’s applied: Pulp and Paper
Technology Involved: Vapour Compression heat pump with piston compressors
Partners involved: Fraunhofer (Knowledge Provider and performance assessment), Sustainable Process Heat (Technology provider) and Felix Schoeller (Demo Site Owner)
Progress
The double stage High-Temperature Heat Pump system is going through the final steps of commissioning with a focus on finalizing all necessary documentation for the demo site owners. In parallel the Heat Pump system has been operated succesfully in part load. Further, the system has been also monitored with regards to fulfilling all requirements for being handed over and operated in automatic mode.
Already after its first 300h of operation the Heat Upgrade System has shown promising results with its steam generation providing heat (steam) at pressure levels between 1,6-2,5bara (113-127°C). Moreover, a first training provided by SPH for the operating staff of Felix Schoeller in Weißenborn has given first insights into Heat Pump setup, operation, control as well as safety aspects. The monitoring of the High-Temperature Heat Pump allows next to performance related aspects also the operational assessment on system as well as on process level.
Next steps
A transition from manual part-load operation to fully automatic operation at full load is expected to take place in the upcoming months. A further training is scheduled for the summer that will allow the operating staff to fully get familiar with the operation of the double stage Heat-Pump system. First results from the operation of the Heat Pump system will provide key information on the overall performance and the optimization potential. Given the direct integration of the produced steam into the paper machine the performance at the heat sink will be analysed.
First perfomance results are expected to be published within the DKV Conference 2026 (Ingolstadt) this year in November.
Industry in which it’s applied: Pulp and Paper Technologies involved: High Temperature Heat Pump (HTHP)
Partners involved: Cartiere di Guarcino (Demo Site Owner), POLIMI (Performance Assessment), BONO (Knowledge Provider, Technology provider and system integrator)
Progress
Significant progress has been made in the preparation of the High Temperature Heat Pump realized by Cannon Bono that will be installed at Cartiere di Guarcino.
Following assembly, a refrigerant leakage was identified during pneumatic testing, which temporarily delayed the campaign and the shipment of the unit to the demonstration site. After resolving the issue, the unit was charged with R1233zd(E) and performance testing began at the manufacturer's facilities. These tests are essential to verify the correct operation of the system, assess its performance under different operating conditions, and ensure that all components function as expected before deployment in the field.
During testing, an adjustment to the refrigerant load was needed to ensure stable operation across the full operating range. To address this, the system design was enhanced through the integration of a refrigerant receiver below the condenser, which provides additional storage capacity and improves refrigerant management during operation.
In parallel, an additional safety measure has been introduced through the installation of an on/off valve designed to prevent potential flooding of the evaporator. This modification further increases the operational reliability and safety of the heat pump, supporting stable operation during demonstration activities.
Assembly of these final modifications is currently underway, after which the heat pump will be ready for shipment to the demonstration site.
Next steps
The project team is now focused on completing the integration of the new components. Once these activities are finalized, the heat pump will be shipped to Cartiere di Guarcino, where installation, commissioning, and demonstration activities will begin.
With the major technical challenges successfully addressed, the project is entering an exciting phase as the technology is moving to real industrial operation!
Industry in which it’s applied: Pulp and Paper Technologies involved: Absorption Heat Transformer (AHT)
Partners involved: Tecnalia (System design and performance assessment), Technische Universtät Berlin (Technology and Operation optimisation), BSNOVA (Technology Provider), Cartiere di Guarcino (Demo Site Owner) and BONO ENERGIA (system integrator and engineering)
Progress
Part of Demo 3 of the Push2heat project, the system combines an AHT with an external Steam Generation Module (SGM). The AHT harnesses residual heat from the mill’s existing cogeneration plant — around 90 °C — and upgrades it to produce steam at 5.5 barg, using a thermocompressor to boost pressure. The low-temperature heat rejection is managed via river water at around 15 °C, ensuring a sustainable and efficient process.
The installation was completed in July 2025, with commissioning beginning in September 2025. The process started with cold commissioning — verifying all connections, sensors, and control systems — followed by hot commissioning, where the AHT was activated using available waste heat and cooling water. Initially, low-pressure steam was generated only in the flash tank, allowing engineers to confirm stable operation of the upgraded heat water flow and steam production. Later, the full system was tested, including the thermocompressor, to reach the target medium-pressure steam conditions.
A key milestone was the injection of the generated steam into the mill’s existing medium-pressure steam network. This step confirmed the system’s ability to integrate seamlessly with the plant’s infrastructure, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient operation under real-world conditions.
This project demonstrates how waste heat — once considered a by-product — can become a valuable energy resource. By turning low-grade heat into high-value steam, the technology reduces energy consumption and emissions, supporting the paper industry’s transition toward a more sustainable future.
Industrial Scale System in Belgium
Industry in which it’s applied: Chemical Technology involved: Thermochemical Heat Transformer
Partners involved: Qpinch unit, Borealis Antwerp
Progress
Between July 2025 and July 2026 significant progress was achieved in two main areas:
Process stability and reliability: Continuous optimization of the interface with the client’s systems (waste heat, steam, cooling water, boiler feed water, etc.). The main focus has been on ensuring that any upset on the Qpinch side cannot cause instability in the client’s processes, while the unit can autonomously absorb fluctuations coming from the client. For this specific application, a high degree of flexibility towards waste heat input -temperature and load - has been successfully achieved.
Production capacity: The steam output of the unit was ramped up, reaching 1 t/h. The unit’s performance remains strongly dependent on the amount of waste heat made available by the client.
Next Steps
A scheduled shutdown took place in Q4 to carry out maintenance activities on the Qpinch unit. · Preparations are underway to share the operational data collected over the past months as input for performance monitoring under Work Package 4
Latest News
Push2Heat in the real world — take a tour of Demo 1
Ever wondered what it actually looks like to install a high-temperature heat pump inside a running paper mill? This year we published a virtual tour of Demo 1, located at the Felix Schoeller site in Weissenborn — one of Europe's leading manufacturers of technical and speciality paper.
In under a few minutes, you'll hear directly from the people making it happen: the industry partner on why decarbonisation matters to their business, the technology provider on the real engineering challenges of retrofitting an active facility, the research partner on what the data is showing, and the project coordinator on what comes next.
It's the fastest way to understand what Push2Heat looks like on the ground.
Heat pumps in the pulp & paper industry: unlocking the potential
On 21 May, EHPA hosted a Push2Heat webinar — "Heat pumps in the pulp & paper industry: unlocking the potential" — bringing together real-world applications of high-temperature heat pumps, with insights from ongoing demonstration projects and industrial case studies.
The programme covered the full picture: from market dynamics and a new matchmaking tool linking heat pump technologies to industrial applications, to live results from Push2Heat demo sites — including an absorption heat transformer in an Italian paper mill and a 12 MWth steam-generating heat pump now fully operational in Finland. Missed it?
Bombas de calor de alta temperatura para procesos industriales: de la aerotermia al vapor
Spanish speakers, this one's for you. Tecnalia's webinar covered the full spectrum of high-temperature heat pump solutions for industry — from aerothermal and hydrothermal systems to steam generation — including real application cases, business models, co-financing mechanisms, and energy flexibility as a competitive advantage.
The 15th IEA Heat Pump Conference (26–29 May 2026, Vienna, Austria) was a key moment for the Push2Heat project. Several partner institutions presented research directly rooted in P2H work, putting high-temperature heat pumps for industry firmly on the conference agenda:
- Design of a heat upgrade system for heat recovery in a paper factory - Tommaso Toppi (POLIMI)
- System design and first operational experiences in a paper mill of a steam-generating Type II absorption heat pump - José Luis Corrales-Ciganda (Tecnalia)
- Market Opportunity and Product-Market Fit in High-Temperature Heat Pumps — Cordin Arpagaus (OST)
Heat Pumps for Industrial Drying Processes – An Overview of Realized Use Cases
IEA HPT Project 59 Heat Pumps for Drying Final Webinar
On 10 June 2026, the IEA Heat Pumping Technologies (HPT) Technology Collaboration Programme hosted the final webinar of Project 59, Heat Pumps for Drying, bringing together results, tools, and real-world implementation experience from across the international collaboration. Cordin Arpagaus (OST) gave an overview of realised demonstration cases collected within the project, spanning food, feed, dairy, fish processing, ceramics, paper, and biomass. The ten documented case studies, complemented by additional commercial installations, demonstrate that heat pump assisted drying has moved well beyond the pilot stage.
On 27 May, the SET Plan IWG-Industry 2026 Annual Event explored how heat recovery and industrial heat pumps can support this transition.Wouter Ducheyne (Qpinch), in his presentation explored how industrial heat recovery technologies can contribute to more efficient and competitive low-carbon industrial processes including insights fromPush2Heat.
Innovation Fund IF26 Heat Auction: What You Need to Know
The European Commission has launched a second Innovation Fund auction for industrial heat decarbonisation, with a budget of up to €1 billion. The first round (IF25) drew 85 bids from 14 countries, with €1.4bn requested against a €1bn budget. Of the 65 selected projects, top sectors were Pulp & Paper, Food & Beverage, and Chemicals. Heat pumps gained ground in the mid-temperature segment, with significant room to grow.
Why it matters
Strong participation in this round matters beyond individual projects.The more bids the European Commission receives, the stronger the signal that this market is real and ready to scale and the more likely this auction gets institutionalised as a permanent instrument rather than a one-time pilot. If you work with industrial end-users, encouraging them to submit a bid is one of the most impactful things you can do right now.
Timeline & How to Apply Draft T&Cs are open for feedback until 2 July (clima-auctions@ec.europa.eu), with a workshop on 7 July in Brussels (also online). Final T&Cs follow in September, with the call opening by year-end. Projects compete in a fixed-premium auction (€/tCO₂ avoided) — lowest subsidy bid wins priority. The premium is paid post-commissioning, based on verified heat output.
Join Europe’s heat pump community as it comes together to shape the future of clean heating and cooling.
Under the theme “Secure heat for a competitive future”, the 2026 edition will take place on 1 December 2026 at SQUARE – Brussels Convention Centre in Brussels. The Forum offers a concentrated day of forward-looking discussions, inspiring sessions and high-level networking, where big ideas meet practical solutions to accelerate the clean heating and cooling transition.
On 2 December 2026, an open and free of charge Heat Pump Accelerator Platform meeting will take place at the same venue, SQUARE, followed by a networking lunch.
Share your input and help shape future industrial heat pump solutions!
Are you a company in the food & beverage, pulp and paper, or chemical sector?
As part of the HP4INDUSTRY project, a questionnaire has been launched to assess industrial heat needs across Europe.
The survey is aimed at companies interested in reducing energy costs, decarbonising operations and utilities, and addressing grid connection challenges caused by congestion.
What if your building could think, adapt, and run on renewables — all at once?
That's exactly what SEEDS is working to prove. This Horizon Europe project is testing smart, electrified heating and cooling systems across six pilot sites in Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, and Slovenia — from historic neighbourhoods to student dorms — combining multi-source heat pumps, RES integration, and demand response to show that decarbonising buildings at scale is not just possible, but replicable.
Consultation with Heat Pump Manufacturers and System Providers
Are you working with industrial heat pumps in the food and beverage sector? We want to hear from you.
As part of the EXQUISHEAT project, EHPA is consulting with manufacturers, system providers and integrators to understand barriers, opportunities and the potential for more standardised solutions. Reach out to francesca.tamburrini@ehpa.org to participate.
European Heat Pump Association AISBL, Avenue de Cortenbergh 120, Brussels, B-1000, Belgium
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