European industry is confronted with a pivotal challenge: how to decarbonise industrial processes and transition towards sustainable heat solutions amidst escalating energy costs and the pressing need to reduce CO2 emissions. The path away from fossil fuels is both necessary and complex, requiring coordinated efforts and innovative strategies spanning research, industry, and policy.
To discuss possible solutions to this pressing need, the SUSHEAT project organised a webinar on 10th March 2026. The event gathered leading industry stakeholders and research experts from across Europe to exchange insights, present forward-thinking approaches, and foster collaborative solutions. Through constructive dialogue and knowledge sharing, participants explored how innovative technologies and partnerships can drive the sustainable transformation of industrial heating throughout the continent.
Industry Perspective and Insights
The expertise shared during this session was anchored by the SUSHEAT External Advisory Board (EAB), a select group of independent industry leaders and technical specialists who provide the project with strategic oversight. The EAB acts as a bridge between lab and ‘real-world’ application, ensuring SUSHEAT’s innovation, are both scientifically sound and commercially viable. By bringing together voices from diverse sectors like textiles, food production, and energy consulting, the EAB ensures that SUSHEAT’s “Smart Integration” approach addresses the actual pain points of European manufacturers making use of thermal processes.
For example, Behçet Güven from Özen Mensucat provided some perspective from the textile manufacturing sector, where energy costs make up 10 to 15% of total expenses. Their facilities in Turkey use some 2,500 tons of water daily, heating it up for fabric dyeing and finishing before cooling it back down. While they have successfully implemented biomass, solar energy, and wastewater heat recovery into their process to achieve major energy reductions, they are still actively looking for advanced solutions to tackle 200°C high-temperature drying processes.
Similarly, Mario Arellano from Panificadora de Alcala highlighted the intense energy demands in the bakery industry, where ovens operate 24 hours a day at temperatures ranging from 50°C to 180°C. Traditionally reliant on natural gas boilers, the bakery sector is now exploring heat recovery from hot oven air, using industrial heat pumps to reach temperatures to 90-120°C, and thermal energy storage to manage fluctuating production starts and stops.
However, as Jan Haraldsen from Epcon pointed out, a major barrier to adoption is the industry’s concern over process vulnerability. Companies are understandably cautious about implementing external energy recovery systems that might risk product damage or cross-contamination. Solutions must be carefully integrated to align with strict process criteria, ideally utilizing natural working fluids like water vapor to ensure safety and efficiency.
Research and Innovation for Heat Tech
To meet these demanding industrial needs, research initiatives are developing highly advanced, scalable technologies. SUSHEAT technical coordinator Antonio Rovira (UNED) outlined the project’s three key enabling technologies that can sustainably increase temperatures to 250°C:
- Stirling Heat Pumps: Utilizing helium—a non-toxic gas with zero ozone depletion and zero global warming potential—these pumps offer high coefficients of performance.
- Bio-Inspired Thermal Energy Storage (TES): Using phase change materials like polymers and melting salts, these dual low- and high-temperature storage tanks mimic the heat transfer structures found in natural veins and lungs to maximize efficiency.
- AI-Based Control Systems: This acts as an intelligent dispatcher and digital twin, optimizing energy distribution in real-time while providing a risk-free digital environment for testing new processes without material waste.
Adding to the technological landscape, Andrea Zini presented the GEOSYN project, which focuses on harnessing medium-grade geothermal waste heat. By integrating a high-temperature water heat pump and a steam ejector, the system can simultaneously deliver 50 kW of process heat at 200°C for sectors like the dairy industry, alongside 20 kW of cooling power.
The Path to 2040
During the webinar’s panel section, consensus was clear: the ultimate gamechanger for industrial heat adoption is flexibility. Silvia Trevisan from SUSHEAT partner KTH noted that the ability to switch dynamically between heat pumps, solar technologies, and thermal storage based on weather or grid conditions is an essential winning factor.