About
Project Summary
EXQUISHEAT project is co-funded by European Union under the LIFE Programme and officially started on 1 October 2025.
The consortium brings together stakeholders from the food and heat pump industries, as well as heat pump installation companies and energy experts and auditors with strong, hands-on knowledge of current market conditions. Associations will serve also as multipliers to spread the project learning among the networks for direct roll-out in the market.
EXQUISHEAT will trigger the installation of at least 20 new heat pump installations in the food industry in the long-term. These installations will cause a reduction in final energy consumption of 28 GWh/a and provide GHG emission savings of 36 tCO2-eq/year. It contributes to EU targets, specified in the EU Green Deal, Green Deal Industrial Plan, the Net-Zero Industry Act, REPowerEU Plan and the overall climate targets in Europe.
Project objective
The EXQUISHEAT project aims to accelerate the deployment of industrial heat pumps in the European food industry — one of the sectors with the greatest potential for decarbonisation. By focusing on practical applications, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, the project will help remove current barriers and enable widespread adoption of high-efficiency heat pump technologies.
Analyse key industrial processes
EXQUISHEAT will examine four common processes across the food industry — sanitation, pasteurisation, evaporation and drying, and refrigeration and cooling. Through collaboration with at least ten companies in five countries, the project will assess both technical and non-technical aspects to identify opportunities for heat pump integration and provide free pre-feasibility studies to participating firms.
Develop standardised heat pump solutions
Based on the analysis, the project will design standardised, easy-to-implement heat pump solutions adaptable to different process types and company sizes. These solutions will include technical guidelines and validated business models that demonstrate economic and environmental benefits across EU markets, supporting both end-users and technology providers.
Foster collaboration between the food industry and heat pump manufacturers
EXQUISHEAT will build strong connections between food manufacturers and heat pump suppliers through workshops, surveys, and a final roundtable event. This cooperation aims to establish a lasting framework for innovation and deployment.
Raise awareness and provide guidance
The project will develop tailored communication materials, concise implementation guidelines, and an online checklist to support decision-makers in adopting heat pump technologies. These tools will promote understanding of the benefits and practical steps for integrating industrial heat pumps across the European food sector.
Methodology
To accelerate the decarbonisation of Europe’s food industry, EXQUISHEAT applies a structured and collaborative methodology designed to overcome current market barriers and enable the large-scale integration of industrial heat pumps.
The project began with a detailed market analysis, mapping energy use and assessing barriers to heat pump adoption in the food industry, one of Europe’s largest energy consumers, still heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Key challenges include high upfront costs, limited technical knowledge, complex approval procedures, and concerns about integration into existing facilities.
Rather than targeting specific sub-sectors, EXQUISHEAT focuses on four key industrial applications common across the food industry: sanitation, pasteurisation, evaporation, drying, and cooling/refrigeration. These processes typically operate at temperatures (60–200°C) well suited for heat pump use, offering high efficiency and significant energy savings.
Through close collaboration with food manufacturers and technology providers, the project will design at least three standardised heat pump solutions. These will include technical blueprints, economic assessments, and practical guidelines, making system design, installation, and operation easier and more cost-effective for all types of companies.
EXQUISHEAT will bring together stakeholders from the food, energy, and heat pump industries through surveys, workshops, and a final roundtable event to exchange knowledge and create lasting partnerships. This network will continue beyond the project, ensuring long-term cooperation and sustained impact under the umbrella of EHPA.
Finally, EXQUISHEAT will raise awareness through communication materials, decision-maker guidelines, and an online checklist to help companies assess their readiness for heat pump integration.
These tools will support knowledge transfer and foster market confidence in clean heating and cooling technologies.