BDR THERMEA GROUP BV

Their core work

BDR Thermea is a major European heating technology manufacturer headquartered in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. They develop and produce heating and hot water solutions including boilers, heat pumps, and combined heat and power (CHP) systems. In H2020, they contributed industrial-scale expertise to fuel cell micro-CHP commercialization, smart heat pump systems, and hydrogen readiness testing for gas appliances — reflecting their role as a large OEM preparing its product lines for the energy transition.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

BDR Thermea's H2020 journey shows a clear shift from established gas-based technology toward decarbonized heating. Their early projects (2016) focused heavily on fuel cell micro-CHP — commercializing combined heat and power units and building supply chains for market deployment. By 2018-2020, their focus had diversified into solar-coupled heat pumps with smart controls and hydrogen compatibility testing for existing gas infrastructure, signaling a strategic pivot toward renewable and hydrogen-ready product portfolios.

BDR Thermea is transitioning from fossil-gas heating toward hydrogen-compatible and electrified heating solutions, making them a strong partner for projects on decarbonizing building heat.

How they like to work

BDR Thermea participates as a partner rather than leading consortia — they brought zero coordinator roles across their H2020 portfolio. With 53 unique partners across 13 countries, they operate in large, multi-national consortia typical of Innovation Actions. Their role is that of a major industrial end-user and product manufacturer who validates and deploys research outputs at commercial scale, rather than driving the research agenda.

BDR Thermea has built a broad European network spanning 53 partners across 13 countries, primarily through large energy demonstration and innovation consortia. Their partnerships likely include fuel cell developers, utilities, research institutes, and other heating OEMs across Western and Northern Europe.

What sets them apart

BDR Thermea is one of Europe's largest heating appliance manufacturers, giving them a rare ability to take research outputs and deploy them at mass-market scale. Unlike research institutes or SMEs in the same projects, they own the factories, distribution networks, and installer relationships needed to actually get new heating technologies into homes. For any consortium needing an industrial partner who can demonstrate real-world deployment of heating innovations, BDR Thermea is a credible, well-resourced choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PACE
  Largest project by far (EUR 1.7M funding), focused on creating a competitive European market for fuel cell micro-CHP — BDR Thermea was involved both as participant and third party.
• THyGA
  Strategically important hydrogen readiness project — though small in funding (EUR 52K), it signals BDR Thermea's commitment to preparing gas appliances for hydrogen admixture.