CHASE: Combined heat pump and thermal storage for energy efficient industry
Industrial heating requires 66% of the total industrial energy demand in the EU. Heat electrification is one of the solutions to achieve the climate neutrality goals by 2050. However, the intermittent character of electricity generated by renewables is one of the main barriers to decarbonising industrial heat. Industrial heat pumps are one of the potential solutions to generate heat with electricity, and when these systems are combined with latent thermal energy storage, they could offer the ideal solution for periods of high peak thermal loads and in high peak electricity prices. This study investigates the combination of a High Temperature Heat Pump (HTHP) with Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage (LHTES) in a single lab-scale system. The system is currently in the manufacturing stage and is planned for experimental validation under real conditions, targeting thermal power output of 100 kW at 150 °C output, achieving >50% of Carnot efficiency. In addition, numerical modelling will validate its operation at 250 °C. The future demonstration will allow to evaluate the feasibility of the system and its performance, flexibility, and response to fluctuations in both thermal load and power supply.