Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE demonstrated that heat pumps can produce industrial-grade hot water and steam by operating at about 320°F, using a butane refrigerant in a closed-loop compressor and heat exchanger rig. The tests produced data across varying heat sources and load conditions, intended to guide manufacturers in designing heat exchangers and systems for sustained high temperatures, large capacities and shifting process demands. The work specifically targets coal-fired industrial heat applications in hard-to-abate sectors, testing the practical components and operational envelopes needed to replace direct combustion for process heat rather than the lower-temperature space-heating uses that have dominated heat pump deployment.
The findings argue that high-temperature heat pumps offer a credible pathway to cut industrial fossil fuel use by sourcing thermal energy from ambient air, ground, water or industrial waste heat and amplifying it for process needs. Beyond the lab results, the broader case emphasizes heat pumps’ cost-effectiveness, energy efficiency and quality-of-life benefits - quieter operation, better control and lower emissions - meaning they can reduce overall energy demand markedly when scaled. The Fraunhofer data supplies the engineering specifics manufacturers need to translate that promise into industrial-scale replacements for coal boilers.
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