Practice-oriented simulations in the Carnot laboratory provide insight into performance, integration and the path towards widespread industrial deployment.
Simulations accelerate large-scale deployment
The Kickstart project is conducting intensive research into industrial heat pumps with the aim of accelerating their market rollout. At TNO's Carnot laboratory, full-scale heat pumps are tested under simulated industrial conditions.
Industrial heat pumps can make an important contribution to industrial decarbonisation by upgrading waste heat into usable process heat. However, widespread adoption is still being held back by limited practical experience and insufficient knowledge of integration and performance.
Field testing and simulations
The Carnot laboratory simulates realistic industrial processes. This provides insight into how heat pumps perform in different applications and under a wide range of conditions.
The heat pumps are developed using standard components wherever possible. This reduces costs, shortens development time and simplifies maintenance and replacement.
Integration as the greatest challenge
Integrating the heat pump into existing industrial processes presents a major challenge. Although systems can perform optimally in the laboratory, real-world deployment often introduces new technical and operational questions. Every production environment and heat demand is unique, so a tailored approach remains essential.
Kickstart therefore considers not only the technology, but also non-technical factors such as investment decisions, value-chain collaboration and market structure.
From testing to real-world operation
The heat pump expected to undergo testing in the Carnot laboratory in the fourth quarter of 2026 will ultimately be deployed as a demonstration installation at an end-user site. There, it will supply process heat in a realistic industrial environment.
The knowledge developed within Kickstart will help remove key barriers and clear the way for wider adoption in sectors including food, chemicals and paper.