Futraheat, a London-based industrial heat pump startup, has secured a funding of £689,000 from Innovate UK to develop and implement its 300kW industrial heat pump named Greensteam 360.
Functionality of the Greensteam 360 Heat Pump
This pump elevates low-grade waste heat by as much as 60 degrees, effectively recycling it and returning it to customers. This process enables customers to reduce their energy bills significantly and contributes to a notable decrease in their carbon footprint. Futraheat claims that this advancement can remarkably reduce energy consumption, potentially surpassing 80%.
Its high-temperature heat pump is built around the firm’s patented TurboClaw compressor technology, which can cost-effectively boost waste heat to above boiling point.
The 18-month project will demonstrate the pilot heat pump with an early-adopter industry partner during 2024, paving the way for a commercial product.
The new financial support has been coupled with existing investments from Clean Growth Fund, a prominent cleantech investor. Clean Growth Fund had injected £1.5 million into Futraheat earlier in the year. With these combined resources, the total investment in this endeavor is expected to reach £1 million.
TurboClaw Compressor Technology
Futraheat’s immediate objective is to identify a strategic industry partner within the UK. This partner will host a pilot project to produce low-cost steam with temperatures reaching 150 degrees Celsius. This temperature range holds immense significance for numerous industries, positioning this project as a pivotal step toward practical and impactful heat recovery solutions.
Tom Taylor, CEO, Futraheat, said, “We are putting out a nationwide call to find an early-mover industrial user who would like to host this groundbreaking £1 million trial. Seventy percent of all industrial energy demand is for heat, and a significant amount of this is for process heat in the 100-200C range – usually delivered as high-temperature steam in industries including pharmaceuticals, food, and brewing.”
The company is currently testing its Greensteam 330 concept demonstrator at the Surbiton test facility, which uses single-stage compression to deliver a 30C temperature lift.