The new EU-funded EXQUISHEAT project has officially launched to identify high-impact opportunities for heat pump integration in the food and beverage industry and to develop standardised, replicable solutions aimed at industrial decarbonisation.
Led by a consortium of nine partners across six European countries, the three-year project is part of the LIFE Clean Energy Transition Programme. It supports the EU’s Strategic Energy Technology Plan and aligns with the objectives of the Net-Zero Industry Act, which calls for 40% of Europe’s climate-neutral technologies to be produced within the EU by 2030.
The initiative focuses on four key application areas within food processing: sanitation and hot water, pasteurisation, evaporation and concentration, and refrigeration and cooling. Through detailed analysis of industrial processes, EXQUISHEAT aims to determine where heat pumps can deliver the greatest efficiency and emissions reductions.
Activities will include workshops and interviews with stakeholders from the food industry and heat pump sector to identify market barriers and co-develop practical solutions. A European roundtable will be established to foster ongoing collaboration between manufacturers and end-users.
To facilitate widespread adoption, the project will also deliver business models, replication studies, and user-friendly tools such as practical guidelines and an online feasibility checklist.
“Sustainable heat from heat pumps using industrial waste heat will make a major contribution to the decarbonisation of the European food industry,” said Prof. Dr. Uli Jakob, Managing Director of JER and Technical Coordinator of EXQUISHEAT.
The kick-off meeting took place in Brussels on 21–22 October 2025. Project partners include Veolia, Dr. Jakob Energy Research, the European Heat Pump Association, National Energy Conservation Agency, GEA Refrigeration Technology, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Food-Processing Initiative, Clusaga, and Clivet.