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HEATLEAP Project

About our project.

Low-grade heat waste (around 70 °C) is often widely present in several ENERGY INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES, however it can be hardly valorised using conventional technologies (e.g. Organic Ranking Cycles). Conversely, some innovative technologies (Waste Heat Recovery System-WHRS) are emerging and can provide further energy improvements and CO2 savings. 

The HEATLEAP project aims to demonstrate the environmental and economic benefits of waste heat recovery systems such as large heat pumps in energy intensive industries and gas expanders in gas distribution networks by testing these technologies at real scale.

The HEATLEAP project seeks to demonstrate the latest innovation in low-grade waste heat recovery and energy recovery from gas pressure reduction process to further increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions and energy bills, thereby making the industrial and utility sectors more competitive.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A SUMMARY REPORT OF THE HEATLEAP PROJECT

1.

Innovative Large Heat Pump (LHP) with a size of up to 7MWth output (combined with the existing heat exchangers), able to supply to district heating temperatures up to 120°C and characterized by a COP (coefficient of performance) up to 8, thanks also to an innovative working fluid.

2.

Innovative Gas Expander (GEX), able to recover waste heat from decompression of natural gas from the grid and generate electricity in the range <1 MWe.

3.

A cloud-based software platform for the system monitoring, allowing data acquisition and storage, real-time tracking of the performances with respect to the targets, data processing with artificial intelligence algorithms for outputs forecasting.

Our objectives in details.

Waste heat recovery solutions

Create a range of waste heat recovery solutions, customizable according to the different energy intensive industries requirements and type of waste heat (also low temperature), able to recover more than 70% of the available waste heat.

Reduce CO2

Reduce by 5.750 ton of CO2eq. ORI plant emissions, by recovering 22.000 MWhth/year into the production process, and by generating 2.000 MWhel/year (more than doubling the effect of the installed ORC).

Social and economic impacts

Show positive social and economic impacts, reducing the operational costs of energy intensive industries production, thereby increasing the EU’s industry competitiveness and fostering the sustainability of jobs.

Deployment of WHR

Foster the deployment of Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) solutions, at EU level, thanks to a replicability study.

Software platform

Develop a software platform able to support business decisions and strategy.

Reduce the GWP

Reduce by 99,7% the GWP (global warming potential) of the working fluid used in the state of the art LHP, through the use of an innovative alternative fluid (i.e. R1233 ZD), contributing to the Fluorinated Gases Regulation.

Performance monitoring

Test and monitor the performances, limits and transferability of the solution to prepare its inclusion in the next BAT (Best Available Techniques) Document.

WHR solutions

Develop novel business models able to incentive the introduction of WHR solutions, thanks to the support of third actors (e.g. Energy Service Companies).