Over the past six months, Demonstration 1 of SPIRIT has moved steadily from integration to on-site commissioning. In October, the compressor skid for the pentane heat pump was assembled and shipped to site by Mayekawa (MYK). In parallel, Stella Polaris (SP) completed the refurbishment of the machine room floor while also updating site safety guidelines. In November the heat pump skid returned to SP and integration picked up pace, supported by MYK’s comprehensive pre-commissioning checklist.
After the pre-commissioning was sorted and minor issues were resolved, the new year marked a key milestone with the first mechanical run of the ammonia heat pump (a brief warm-up to condition the system), followed by pentane and oil charging and leak testing. In early March, the pentane heat pump achieved its first mechanical start.
Throughout early–mid March, MYK and TNO teams have been on site at SP to commission the cascade heat pump, fine-tune operation, and assess performance—bringing us a big step closer to routine operation.
What’s next: the next weeks will focus on start producing steam, complete the commissioning, and perform initial fine tuning of the cascade heat pump.
In the last six months, the steam producing heat pump for demonstration 2 has been improved further, ensuring stable and automated operation. This includes further fine-tuning of the control system during different operation modes and improvement of the heat source system with vacuum steam.
The heat-pump has been operated mainly in the main production campaign at the nominal operating point at 140 °C, but also in the “thick juice” campaign at a little lower temperatures.
Several performance investigations of the pump have been made, including operation with part-load, different flooding/spray modes of the sink side steam evaporator, and with a higher steam pressure on the sink side.
What’s next: The heat pump is now in still-stand mode until the sugar production starts again in the autumn. The time is among other things being used for changing the oil filters, changing some cables due to certification requirements, and inspection of the compressor.
Spilling Project Partner GmbH & Co KG has joined the consortium and replaces Spilling Technologies GmbH. This ends almost two years of uncertainty on how to proceed with demo case 3. The three parties involved Smurfit Westrock, DLR and Spilling are now working on the implementation and integration of the demonstration case and commissioning is currently planned for mid-August. Due to the high level of technological maturity of the compressor, the partners look forward to carrying out extensive testing by the end of the project.
This one-day event brings together Danish and international experts to share the latest insights on heat pump technologies, natural refrigerants, regulations, and digital innovation. The forum features two parallel track:
- Technical Application Advancements
- The 11th International Symposium on Advances in Refrigeration and Heat Pump Technology.
During the event, Jonas Lundsten Poulsen from DTI will give an overview of key results from SPIRIT Demo 2 about "Demonstration of a steam producing heat pump in a sugar factory".
Hosted by DKVF, Dansk Køl & Varme, the Danish Technological Institute, and DTU Construct, the event takes place at the IDA Conference Center in central Copenhagen—an ideal setting for networking and knowledge exchange.
15th International Energy Agency Heat Pump Conference 2026
26-29 May 2026, Vienna
From 26 to 29 May 2026, Vienna hosts the 15th IEA Heat Pump Conference, a leading global event for experts in heat pump technologies. Under the theme “Decarbonisation through Innovation”, the conference brings together academia, industry and policymakers to share the latest research and developments.
Organised by the IEA’s HPT TCP and hosted in Europe by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, the event serves as a key forum for exchange on research, applications, markets, and policy in the heat pump sector.
If you are attending and would like to learn more about SPIRIT, visit EHPA booth at the fair!
SPIRIT Summer School on industrial high-temperature heat pumps - 2nd edition
1-12 June 2026, Copenhagen
Following the success of its first edition, SPIRIT will host a second Summer School on Industrial Heat Pumps in June 2026 in Copenhagen. Organised by DTU and EHPA, the programme focuses on high-temperature heat pumps (HTHP) for the decarbonisation of industrial process heating and is open to Master’s and PhD students as well as industry professionals.
Participants will gain both scientific and practical insights into HTHP development, industrial integration and business models, guided by leading European experts.
Last week, SPIRIT was featured at Mostra Convegno Expocomfort in Milan at the European Heat Pump Association stand (Hall 11, Stand U22).
The event brought together companies and professionals from the HVAC+R, renewable energy, and water sectors, providing a platform to connect, share knowledge, and explore solutions for industrial, residential, and commercial comfort systems.
South Korea's Ministry of Environment Delegation visits heat pump at Tiense Suikerraffinaderij
27 February 2026, Tienen
On 27 February, the Tiense Suikerraffinaderij welcomed a delegation from the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI), a public agency under South Korea’s Ministry of Environment. The visit, organised in collaboration with the Ministry and national broadcaster SBS, highlighted the site’s large-scale industrial heat pump system as a leading example of decarbonisation in food production.
The case study will be featured on SBS News, showcasing SPIRIT’s impact to policymakers and industry in South Korea.
High Temperature Heat Pumps Symposium 2026
21-22 January 2026, Copenhagen
In January 2026, SPIRIT activities were showcased at the High Temperature Heat Pump Symposium in Copenhagen. Project partners TNO and DTI presented progress from demonstration sites in Norway and Belgium, highlighting real-world industrial heat pump integration and performance and EHPA shared information and project material at the stand.
The event also marked the launch of the second SPIRIT Summer School on industrial heat pumps, taking place in June 2026 in Copenhagen.
Industrial Heat Pump Prague
4-5 November 2025, Prague
In November 2025, SPIRIT participated at theIndustrial Heat Pumps Prague conference, a key European event on industrial electrification through heat pumps. The conference brings together experts to discuss technologies, policy, and financing for decarbonising industrial heat.
During a roundtable on financing and regulations, discussions highlighted the role of the Innovation Fund calls and pilot auction on industrial heat and the crucial role of projects like SPIRIT in demonstrating scalable heat pump solutions.
Event - High Temperature Heat pumps for Industrial decarbonisation
22 October 2025, Madrid
On 22 October 2025, TECNALIA hosted the event “High-Temperature Heat Pumps for Industrial Decarbonisation” in Madrid, bringing together around 120 stakeholders from industry, research, and policy. The event highlighted growing momentum for heat pumps in industrial electrification. Miguel Ramirez (TNO) shared insights from SPIRIT, emphasising the role of demonstration sites and key enablers such as standards, stable electricity pricing, and knowledge transfer. The key message: the technology is ready, now the focus must shift to scaling adoption through coordinated action.
Other Public Relevant Events
In the past 6 months, SPIRIT was disseminated in several other external conferences and events that are relevant for the sector. Here is a list:
Boosting energy efficiency in industry: proven solutions & real business cases, 2 October 2025, Online
20th Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, 5-10 October 2025, Dubrovnik (Croatia)
ISK - SODEX 2025, 22-25 October 25, Istanbul (Turkey)
European Heat Pump Summit 2025, 28-29 October 2025, Nurenberg (Germany)
Exodraft Partner Days 2025, 5 November 25, Odense (Denmark)
Sustainable Industries Alliance/NRW, 13 November 2025, Osnabrück, (Germany)
Deutsche Kälte und Klimatagung 2025, 20 November 2025, Magdeburg (Germany)
Varmepumpedagen - "The heat pump day", 3 December 2025, Taastrup (Denmark)
SPIRIT Reports and Publications
Deliverable 5.1 - Market analysis
This deliverable analyses the evolution of the industrial heat pump market and its role in the energy transition toward 2050. It uses three complementary methodologies: a top-down analysis of market trends and heat demand, a bottom-up analysis of industrial processes and technical requirements, and a PESTLE analysis to assess external factors influencing market development.
By combining these approaches, the study develops adoption scenarios for High Temperature Heat Pumps (HTHPs). It includes projections of market growth in terms of installed capacity and number of units, along with key technical parameters such as temperature levels and system characteristics.
The research supports one of the project's milestones by estimating potential energy savings and CO₂ emission reductions, while also offering insights for scaling the technology globally.
Deliverable 5.2 - Policy, regulatory and non-technical barriers
This report identifies non-technical barriers to the deployment of industrial heat pumps (IHPs) in Europe, analyses their root causes, and proposes practical solutions based on both field and desk research.
It reviews EU-level policies and national strategies (National Energy and Climate Plans) to assess their impact on industrial heat pump adoption, alongside insights gathered from surveys, interviews, and stakeholder engagement across key industrial sectors.
The outcome is a structured inventory of barriers and solutions across key areas such as cost, infrastructure, policy, skills, and awareness, providing actionable recommendations to accelerate industrial heat pump deployment in the EU.
Deliverable 4.2 - Integration concepts and recommendations
This report addresses the decarbonisation of industrial heat demand, a major contributor to global energy use and CO₂ emissions, particularly in energy-intensive sectors.
It focuses on high-temperature heat pumps and solar thermal technologies as key solutions, highlighting their complementary roles in electrifying heat supply, utilising waste heat, and integrating renewable energy sources.
The deliverable provides practical integration guidelines and standardized concepts across multiple industrial applications, including both retrofit and new-build scenarios. By showcasing hybrid systems and real-world use cases, it offers actionable strategies to improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and support a sustainable industrial energy transition.
This report presents the web-based heat pump tool and the pinch analysis tool that have been developed by TLK Energy in the framework of SPIRIT.
These tools can support companies to identify waste heat recovery potential in their industrial processes and can help in the design, dimensioning, and optimisation of industrial heat pump systems based on thermodynamic and economic performance.
Together, they provide a streamlined workflow for early-stage decision-making, enabling a more informed evaluation of technical, economic, and environmental aspects of industrial heat pump implementation.
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