Norway Joins HPT TCP Annex 59 – Heat Pumps for Drying

It is estimated that 10-15 percent of total energy consumption in the Norwegian industry is used for drying processes. However, a biproduct from drying is often steam, which is an excellent high quality heat source for heat pumps (HP). By utilizing the surplus heat from the drying process, a heat pump can help reduce the process’s total energy consumption by up to 80 percent. Norway has confirmed participation in HPT TCP Annex 59 Heat Pumps for Drying and will be represented by SINTEF Energy Research, who has a long experience from heat pumping technologies as well as drying processes.

Heat pumping technology integrated into drying processes has great potential to reduce total energy consumption in Norwegian industry and private households. Even though Norway’s electricity production is renewable, a large proportion of the energy consumption in industrial drying processes is covered by natural gas. Therefore, this integration will also contribute to reducing Norway’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The heat pump and drying processes are relatively mature technologies, and the path towards industrial implementation does not have to be long. The potential to cut emissions by 2030 is therefore significant. This view is also shared by the Norwegian organization Enova, which has funded SINTEF’s participation in the Annex.

The role of drying in sustainable food production

Drying is a process that will have a growing importance in the future. In recent years, there has been an even greater focus on the production of local raw materials and supply security. There has been growth in locally produced food and feed for both humans and animals in Norway. A large part of the fish feed has previously been imported. Now, research focuses on the production of protein- and fat-rich foods that can replace the imported goods. Examples of such goods can be seaweed, microalgae, or residues and sludge from fish farms. Much of these can also be used in dietary supplements for humans. To utilize these raw materials, drying is an important part of the process, both in terms of preservation and the actual production of powder and pellets.

SINTEF’s role

SINTEF Energy Research is a research institute with a strong strategic focus on energy efficiency. The institute’s role in this HPT TCP Annex, under the umbrella of IEA, will be to contribute with expertise on both heat pump technology and drying technology, which has been built up over decades of applied research in close cooperation with NTNU – the leading technical university in Norway. SINTEF has laboratory facilities which includes several drying technologies with the potential of being integrated with HPs. One of the dryers is already integrated with a HP. These test facilities may contribute to increased competence within the consortium of how the dryers operate together with HPs and be a part of the monitoring task of the Annex. There may be possibilities of testing new working fluids in the existing dryer to monitor the change in efficiency.

By participating in an IEA project such as HPT TCP Annex 59, one can achieve a great return on increased competence. As the project consists of several international partners, SINTEF will have the opportunity to get an even better insight into technology development and application in other countries and ensure the transfer of new knowledge to actors in the Norwegian market. The project partners will also be able to learn from how we do things in Norway and how the industry is managed. SINTEF believes that this type of cross-national and institutional knowledge sharing is a vital component to reach the goal of achieving Norway’s and Europe’s climate commitments and transitioning to a zero-emission society.