https://e360.yale.edu/features/europe-industrial-heat-pumps
"The Wienerberger brickworks in Uttendorf, Austria, in the Tyrolean Alps, has
always required a steady stream of 90 degree C (194 degree F) heat to dry its
construction blocks. This process would have been an expensive proposition for
the company after Russia cut gas exports to Europe, as it was for most of
Europe’s energy-intensive construction industry. But four years ago,
Wienerberger — the largest brick producer in the world — made an investment in
the future that is now paying off: it replaced Uttendorf’s gas-fired boiler
with an industrial-scale heat pump, which whittles the factory’s energy bill by
around 425,00 euros a year.
For decades, electric heat pumps have been used in European homes and other
buildings for heating and cooling, but they’ve never gained much traction in
manufacturing, which has far higher energy demands for producing hot water and
steam. And because fossil fuels had long been relatively cheap, industries had
little incentive to replace gas- and oil-powered systems with greener
equipment. Now, with the development of heat pumps that can deliver
temperatures up to 160 degrees C (320 degrees F) at a fraction of the price of
gas boilers, and with gas prices skyrocketing due to the war in Ukraine, that
calculus is being turned on its head. Many European businesses are rethinking
their energy sources while also slashing their greenhouse gas emissions, an EU
requirement. European industry is responsible for more than a quarter of the
bloc’s greenhouse gases.
To meet its lofty energy goals and break its dependence on Russian gas, the EU
is counting on nothing less than a heat pump revolution. In many countries,
sales of heat pumps — primarily for residential use — doubled in the first half
of 2022. In Germany, Europe’s largest consumer of Russian gas, demand jumped 52
percent last year, while growth across the EU in 2021 was 35 percent.
Meanwhile, a somewhat less-heralded transition to heat pumps for manufacturing
is gathering speed. Wienerberger, for instance, is now installing similar pumps
at its brick foundries in the Netherlands, the U.K., Poland, Romania, and
elsewhere in Austria."
Via
Future Crunch:
<
https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-maternal-health-india-ocean-conservation-canada-palm-oil/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
