DryFiciency · Project

Cut Industrial Drying Energy Costs by Up to 80% with Heat Pump Technology

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Imagine your factory dryer blasting hot air to dry bricks, food, or waste — and most of that heat just escaping out the chimney. DryFiciency built industrial-scale heat pumps that capture that escaping heat and pump it back into the drying process, raising temperatures up to 160°C. Think of it like a fridge running in reverse, but for a factory. They tested this in three real factories across Europe and cut drying energy use by 60-80%.

By the numbers

60-80%

Energy savings in industrial drying processes

200 kWh/ton

Reduced specific energy demand for drying

700-800 kWh/ton

Current typical energy demand for industrial drying

160°C

Maximum waste heat upgrade temperature

Industrial demonstration sites (food, brick, waste management)

Consortium partners across 6 countries

The business problem

What needed solving

Industrial drying is one of the most energy-hungry processes in manufacturing — brick factories, food plants, and waste treatment facilities spend massive amounts on fossil fuels to evaporate water, with typical energy consumption of 700-800 kWh per ton. Most of that heat escapes as waste, driving up costs and carbon emissions. Companies in these sectors need a way to recover that lost energy and slash their fuel bills without disrupting production.

The solution

What was built

The project built and installed three high-temperature heat pump systems — two closed-loop systems for air-based drying and one open-loop mechanical vapour recompression system for steam drying. These were fully constructed and integrated at three real factory sites in food, brick, and waste management industries, demonstrating waste heat recovery up to 160°C under actual production conditions.

Audience

Who needs this

Food manufacturers with large-scale drying or dehydration operationsBrick and ceramics producers running tunnel dryersWaste management companies drying sludge or municipal wastePulp and paper mills with energy-intensive drying processesIndustrial heat pump manufacturers looking for proven high-temperature designs

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Food processing & dehydration

mid-size

Target: Food manufacturers operating large-scale drying or dehydration lines

If you are a food manufacturer spending heavily on gas-fired dryers for dehydrating vegetables, fruit, or dairy products — this project developed and demonstrated a high-temperature heat pump system that recovers waste heat from your exhaust air and feeds it back into the dryer. In real factory tests, they cut specific energy demand from 700-800 kWh per ton down to 200 kWh per ton of evaporated water, meaning energy savings of 60-80%.

Brick and ceramics manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Brick producers and ceramics companies with continuous kiln-drying operations

If you are a brick or ceramics manufacturer running tunnel dryers that consume enormous amounts of natural gas — this project built and installed a closed-loop heat pump at a real brick production facility that recovers waste heat and raises it to process temperatures up to 160°C. The demonstrated savings of 60-80% in energy use directly reduce your fuel bills and carbon footprint.

Waste management and recycling

enterprise

Target: Waste treatment plants using thermal drying for sludge or waste processing

If you run a waste treatment facility where drying sludge or municipal waste is a major energy expense — this project demonstrated an open-loop mechanical vapour recompression heat pump in an operational waste management plant. The technology cuts drying energy from 700-800 kWh per ton to around 200 kWh per ton of evaporated water, replacing fossil fuel use with recovered waste heat.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much can this actually save on energy costs?

The project demonstrated a reduction in specific drying energy from 700-800 kWh per ton down to 200 kWh per ton of evaporated water. That translates to 60-80% energy savings, which directly cuts your fuel bill since it replaces fossil fuel heating with recovered waste heat.

Has this been tested at industrial scale or only in a lab?

This was tested under real production conditions at three operational factories — one in food processing, one in brick manufacturing, and one in waste management. The heat pump systems were fully constructed and integrated at each demonstration site, not just lab prototypes.

What about patents and licensing — can I buy this technology?

The project was led by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology with 21 partners including 6 industry companies and 6 SMEs across 6 countries. Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not publicly listed. Contact the consortium through SciTransfer for IP and commercial availability details.

What temperature range does this cover?

The heat pump systems can upgrade waste heat to process temperatures up to 160°C. This covers a wide range of industrial drying applications including air-based drying (closed-loop systems) and steam-based drying (open-loop mechanical vapour recompression).

Which industries beyond the three demonstrated can use this?

The project explicitly states the results are relevant for other energy-intensive industries such as pulp and paper. Any industry running large-scale thermal drying or dehydration processes with significant waste heat in exhaust streams is a potential adopter.

How long does installation take and what's the integration effort?

Based on available project data, the systems were designed for integration into existing operational production lines. The project ran demonstrations at three different industrial sites with different drying configurations, suggesting the technology adapts to various setups. Specific installation timelines are not published.

Does this meet current EU energy efficiency regulations?

The technology directly supports EU decarbonization and energy efficiency goals by replacing fossil fuel heating with electrically driven heat pumps. It was funded under the EU Energy Efficiency topic (EE-17-2016-2017), aligning with current European industrial emissions reduction targets.

Consortium

Who built it

The DryFiciency consortium brings together 21 partners from 6 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway), led by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. With 6 industry partners and 6 SMEs making up a 29% industry ratio, this is a strong mix of research capability and commercial intent. The presence of both large manufacturers and SMEs across three distinct sectors (food, brick, waste management) means the technology has been validated across different industrial contexts, not just one niche. For a business considering adoption, this multi-sector validation reduces risk — the technology works in varied real-world conditions.

AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBHCoordinator · AT
SINTEF ENERGI ASparticipant · NO
WIENERBERGER NVthirdparty · BE
AGRANA RESEARCH & INNOVATION CENTER GMBHthirdparty · AT
WIENERBERGER AGparticipant · AT
AGRANA STARKE GMBHparticipant · AT
RTDS - VEREIN ZUR FORDERUNG DER KOMMUNIKATION UND VERMITTLUNG VON FORSCHUNG, TECHNOLOGIE UND INNOVATION (RTDS VEREIN, ENGL. RTDS ASSOCIATION)participant · AT
EUROPEAN HEAT PUMP ASSOCIATIONparticipant · BE

How to reach the team

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Austria — SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to the project team.

Order a report on this consortium See AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how DryFiciency heat pump technology could cut your drying energy costs by 60-80%? SciTransfer connects businesses with EU research teams. Contact us for a tailored brief and introduction.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0