GEA Installs High-Temperature Heat Pump at Tiense Suiker

GEA has delivered and installed a high-temperature heat pump at Belgian sugar producer Tiense Suiker, a subsidiary of the German Südzucker Group. The technology enables the company to efficiently utilize industrial waste heat, contributing to the decarbonization of its sugar production process.

The official inauguration of the plant took place on February 19, 2025, with key representatives in attendance, including Flemish minister-president Matthias Diependaele, Hans-Peter Gai, Chief Operating Officer of Südzucker Group, Philipp Schlüter, Chief Operating Officer of Südzucker Zucker Division, Jan Ingels, Director Factories at Tiense Suiker, and Kai Becker, Chief Executive Officer of GEA Heating & Refrigeration Technologies. Representatives from the European Heat Pump Association, Sonia Bianconi and Francesca Genovesi, as well as other industry and institutional stakeholders, were also present.

Heat Pump Technology for Industrial Decarbonization

The GEA high-temperature heat pump elevates industrial waste heat to temperatures between 135 and 160°C. Utilizing pentane as a natural refrigerant and powerful compressors, the system replaces fossil fuels in industrial applications and district heating. This technology plays a key role in reducing carbon emissions, as it enables energy-efficient and sustainable process heat generation.

At Tiense Suiker, the newly installed heat pump is expected to cut CO₂ emissions by approximately 3,000 to 3,500 tons per year. Until now, heat pumps with capacities ranging from 500 kW to 10 MW have been mostly limited to flow temperatures of around 95°C. With its new high-temperature model, GEA is advancing heat pump technology for sugar production and broader industrial applications.

EU-SPIRIT Project Participation

GEA and Tiense Suiker are selected partners in the EU-SPIRIT project, an initiative under the Horizon Europe framework aimed at promoting industrial heat pump adoption across Europe. The project seeks to encourage the use of surplus industrial heat, helping companies reduce operational costs and environmental impact while aligning with EU climate goals. Both GEA and Tiense Suiker were chosen for the program following a competitive selection process by an expert commission.

Decarbonization in Sugar Refining

Sugar production involves extraction, evaporation, and crystallization, requiring significant heat input. Traditionally, steam for these processes is generated using fossil-fuel-powered boilers. Tiense Suiker has set a long-term goal of completely decarbonizing its sugar refinery process. The integration of GEA’s high-temperature heat pump is a major step in this direction.

The system utilizes vacuum steam from the evaporation process, with temperatures between 75°C and 92°C, to produce steam at approximately 139°C with an output of 4 MW. This approach reduces the need for fossil fuel combustion and contributes to energy efficiency in sugar production.

Scientific Collaboration

The project benefits from collaboration with research institutions and industry associations. Partners include the Danish Technological Institute (DTI), the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA), and TLK Energy GmbH, which provides software and system simulation support. The data collected from the Tiense Suiker installation will inform future high-temperature heat pump projects in other industrial sectors.