Mega Heat Pumps for Industry and District Heating: New Projects Across Europe Show Potential

Münster (Germany) - Large-scale heat pumps are reaching new dimensions and are increasingly becoming a focus of the energy transition. Current projects in Austria, Finland, and Germany demonstrate how heat pumps can be used to decarbonize industrial processes or supply district heating. Various large-scale heat pump technologies are being deployed.

In Austria, Finland, and Germany, companies such as Turboden, Everllence (formerly MAN Energy Solutions), and MVV Energie are relying on large heat pumps to decarbonize industrial processes and district heating networks. Whether at Delfort in Austria for paper production, at the Patola heating plant in Helsinki, or along the Rhine in Mannheim for district heating supply, the projects show how large heat pumps can play a key role in climate-friendly generation of process and district heat.

Industrial Steam Generation for the Paper Industry - Process Heat Without CO₂

Decarbonizing the generation of process heat is highly important for the heat transition in industry. One project illustrating a possible approach is the world’s largest steam-generating, electrically supported process heat plant developed by the Italian thermal engineering specialist Turboden - a company of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries group - for the specialty paper manufacturer Delfort in Austria.

The plant combines an industrial large heat pump (Large Heat Pump - LHP) with mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) and uses low-temperature waste heat from the paper manufacturer’s production process. Via the heat pump, which has a thermal output of 12 MW, steam with a temperature of 150-180 °C and a pressure of 3.4 bar is generated and can be used directly for paper production.

“For the industrial and energy sectors, this project stands as clear evidence that large-scale heat pump technologies are a viable and already available decarbonization solution,” explains Turboden CEO Paolo Bertuzzi.

According to Turboden, Delfort can avoid around 19,000 tons of CO₂ annually with the new system. Delfort COO Hannes Kinast emphasizes: “The successful integration of this efficient and sustainable heat pump process clearly demonstrates the potential of this technology for process heat.”

District Heating from Ambient Air: Helsinki Relies on a Large Heat Pump

Large heat pumps are also opening new dimensions for municipal heat supply. In Helsinki, Everllence (MAN Energy Solutions) is building an air-to-water large heat pump for the Patola district heating plant for the Finnish energy company Helen Oy.

Depending on the outdoor temperature, the system will have a thermal output of 20 to 33 MW. The heat pump can operate at outdoor temperatures as low as −20 °C and uses CO₂ as a natural refrigerant in a closed-loop system. The system employs an oil-free, hermetically sealed high-speed compressor specifically designed for efficient operation under fluctuating temperatures.

Powered by electricity from renewable energy sources, the heat pump will use ambient air as a thermal energy source to increase water temperature and meet the requirements of the district heating network. The heat pump will supply around 200 GWh of heat annually to about 30,000 households and reduce CO₂ emissions by 26,000 tons.

Together with two 50 MW electric boilers, the heat pump is expected to cut emissions by a total of 56,000 tons per year. Commissioning is planned for the 2026/2027 heating season.

“Our heat pump technology provides an economically competitive and efficient way to harness climate-neutral heat from ambient air, even at cold temperatures of -20 °C. Urban district heating projects that utilize climate-neutral technologies are essential for advancing global efforts to reduce carbon emissions. We are excited to see our heat pump solution play a key role in driving the energy transition forward,” said Everllence CEO Uwe Lauber.

Record River Heat Pump in Mannheim: 165 MW of Climate-Friendly Heat

Another large heat pump project is being developed in Mannheim. Here, MVV Energie is building what it says will be the world’s largest river heat pump, with a thermal output of 165 MW.

The plant will use river water from the Rhine River as a heat source and produce district heating at temperatures of up to 130 °C for the Rhine-Neckar region. Construction is being carried out in cooperation with Strabag, which relies on proven compressor technologies from the Heat Pump Alliance.

“With the new river heat pump, we are investing in the energy future of Mannheim and the metropolitan region. It is another milestone toward achieving the goal of fully decarbonizing district heating supply by 2030,” explains MVV board member Gabriël Clemens.

The large heat pump consists of two individual modules, each with a thermal output of 82.5 MW, and uses the natural refrigerant isobutane. Funding from the German federal program for efficient heating networks supports the project.

Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2026, with commissioning planned for winter 2028. In addition, MVV plans to build a hydrogen-ready reheating plant for the district heating network that will raise the temperature of the district heating water to the required levels during the heating season.

Source: IWR Online, 10 Mar 2026