Imagine drying a wet sheet of paper not with hot air, but with a special kind of high-temperature steam that acts like a closed loop. Instead of letting heat escape into the air, this system traps it and can even reuse the leftover steam for other tasks. It's like switching from an old open-window heater to a modern, high-efficiency heat pump for industrial materials.
The paper and pulp industry is energy-intensive and relies on conventional drying methods that produce significant CO2 emissions. Current drying technologies have limited efficiency, leading to high operational costs and environmental penalties.
A superheated steam drying (SSD) system for web-like materials. This includes a closed-loop electrification concept and an AI-supported advanced control platform for safety and efficiency.
If you are a paper mill dealing with high energy costs and CO2 emissions — this project developed superheated steam drying (SSD) that can reduce drying energy use by over 60%. This could lead to a 40% energy saving across your entire production line.
If you are a nonwoven fabric producer dealing with inefficient drying cycles — this project developed a closed-loop SSD system that eliminates CO2 emissions from the drying process. It allows for faster drying and improved product quality.
If you are a chemical processor dealing with energy-intensive material drying — this project developed a scalable SSD concept suitable for chemical industry applications. It offers a path to CO2-free manufacturing with low operating costs.
The technology aims for over 60% energy savings in the drying process, which could translate to a potential saving of 6 billion Euro annually for European paper and board manufacturers.
The project is currently in the piloting phase, focusing on developing AI-supported control systems to ensure the technology is safe and scalable for industrial adoption.
Based on available project data, technology suppliers can increase their market share revenue by 230-345 million Euro annually in Europe through the deployment of these developed concepts.
Yes, the developed solution is designed to be installed on either existing infrastructure or newbuilt machines with low CAPEX and OPEX.
The project runs from January 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027, moving from R&D through pilot trials to commercial scale-up preparation.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven, with 10 industrial partners (59% of the 17 total members) including five product manufacturers as end-users and two leading technology suppliers. This is balanced by 6 research-oriented entities (4 R&D institutes and 2 universities) providing expertise in AI, modeling, and upscaling. The presence of partners from 7 different European countries suggests a strong regional market validation strategy.
Contact TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY in Finland
Contact us to connect with the SteamDry consortium for pilot integration opportunities.
