Smartrec · Project

Modular System That Captures Industrial Waste Heat and Stores It for Reuse

energyPilotedTRL 7

Factories that melt aluminium or fire ceramics throw away enormous amounts of heat through their chimneys — it's like leaving the oven door open and heating the street. Smartrec built a plug-and-play kit that catches that escaping heat using special pipes, stores it in tanks of molten salt (think of a giant thermos), and feeds it back into the factory when needed. The tricky part is that these furnaces run in batches, not continuously, and the exhaust is dirty and corrosive — so the team designed everything to handle those real-world conditions. They tested the full system at a working aluminium recycling plant for over 6 months.

By the numbers

>6 months

Pilot system operation at industrial site

Consortium partners

Countries in consortium

78%

Industry partner ratio in consortium

SMEs in consortium

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

High-temperature industries like aluminium recycling and ceramics manufacturing lose massive amounts of energy as waste heat through their exhaust systems. This heat is difficult to capture because furnaces run in batches (not continuously), exhaust gases are corrosive and full of particles, and temperatures vary widely. Without a practical recovery system, factories pay for energy they generate but never use.

The solution

What was built

The project built a modular heat recovery system combining custom heat pipe heat exchangers with molten salt thermal storage, piloted at a real aluminium recycling plant for over 6 months. They also delivered a public software tool with user guide that lets factory operators model the system for their own site and calculate potential benefits.

Audience

Who needs this

Secondary aluminium recyclers with batch furnacesCeramic tile and brick manufacturers with high-temperature kilnsGlass manufacturers looking to recover furnace waste heatSteel mini-mills and foundries with intermittent heat sourcesIndustrial energy managers at any high-temperature processing plant

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Secondary Aluminium Recycling

mid-size

Target: Aluminium recyclers and smelters dealing with batch furnace operations

If you are an aluminium recycler losing heat every time your furnace cycles — this project developed a modular heat recovery system with molten salt thermal storage that was piloted at a real secondary aluminium plant for over 6 months. The system captures waste heat from corrosive, particle-laden flue gas and stores it for reuse in energy-intensive processes like salt-cake recycling. A public software tool lets you model the system for your own plant before committing.

Ceramics Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Ceramic tile and brick manufacturers with high-temperature kilns

If you are a ceramic processor paying steep energy bills for batch-based kiln operations — this project built a heat pipe heat exchanger paired with thermal storage specifically designed for your temperature range. The Smartrec system was validated for integration with existing factory infrastructure, meaning you do not need to redesign your production line. The consortium included 7 industrial partners across 6 countries who stress-tested the design for real factory conditions.

Energy-Intensive Process Industries

enterprise

Target: Glass, steel, or chemical plants with medium-to-high grade waste heat streams

If you run any high-temperature process where significant heat escapes through exhaust — this project created a standard, modular solution adaptable to different temperatures and industries. The dual media thermocline thermal storage system smooths out the mismatch between batch heat generation and continuous heat demand. A knowledge-based software tool with user guide is publicly available to help you model potential benefits for your specific setup.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to install a Smartrec system at my plant?

The project did not publish specific system costs. However, full life cycle costing and assessment was part of the project scope, and the public software tool allows you to model costs for your specific setup. Contact the consortium for detailed pricing based on your waste heat profile.

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

The Smartrec pilot system was constructed and deployed at a working secondary aluminium recycling facility. It was validated through integration with existing systems and operated for over 6 months — this is real factory testing, not lab-scale work.

Who owns the intellectual property, and can I license this technology?

The consortium of 9 partners across 6 countries developed the technology. The coordinator is ALTEK EUROPE LIMITED (UK), an SME. IP arrangements would need to be discussed directly with the consortium partners. A public software tool was released openly with a user guide.

Can this system handle my specific exhaust temperatures and gas composition?

The system was designed to handle medium to high grade waste heat from corrosive, particulate-laden flue gas across a wide temperature range. The modular design is explicitly intended to be adaptable to different temperatures and industries. The public software tool lets you input your own parameters to check compatibility.

How long does it take to integrate with existing factory infrastructure?

Based on available project data, the system was designed as a standard modular solution for integration with existing industrial systems. The pilot at the aluminium recycler demonstrated successful integration, though specific installation timelines were not published. The knowledge-based tool helps plan integration for your facility.

Does this meet current energy efficiency regulations?

The project addresses EU energy efficiency targets under topic EE-17-2016-2017 (Energy Efficiency). While specific regulatory certifications are not mentioned in the data, the system directly reduces industrial energy waste by recovering and reusing heat that would otherwise be lost.

Is technical support available for implementation?

The consortium hosted an open access workshop to help potential users understand and integrate the Smartrec system. The public software tool includes a user guide. With 7 industrial partners and 6 SMEs in the consortium, commercial support channels likely exist through the coordinator ALTEK EUROPE LIMITED.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a strongly industry-driven consortium with 7 out of 9 partners (78%) coming from industry, including 6 SMEs. The coordinator ALTEK EUROPE LIMITED is itself an SME, which signals practical commercial intent rather than purely academic research. The consortium spans 6 countries (Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Norway, UK), giving it broad European market coverage. With zero university partners and only 2 research organizations, the project was clearly built to deliver something factories can actually use, not just publish papers about. The heavy SME presence suggests the technology was developed with cost-sensitivity and practical deployment in mind.

ALTEK EUROPE LIMITEDCoordinator · UK
TECHNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS LTDparticipant · UK
FLOWPHYS ASparticipant · NO
COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVESparticipant · FR
SPIKE RENEWABLES SRLparticipant · IT
ECONOTHERM (UK) LIMITEDparticipant · UK
IKNOWHOW SAparticipant · EL
ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION DE LASINDUSTRIAS CERAMICAS AICEparticipant · ES
TWI LIMITEDparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

ALTEK EUROPE LIMITED is the coordinator (UK-based SME). Use Google to find their contact details or reach out through SciTransfer for a warm introduction.

Order a report on this consortium See ALTEK EUROPE LIMITED profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to know if Smartrec fits your plant? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the consortium and help you evaluate the technology for your specific waste heat profile.

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