Solid Energy and Clayton Announce Strategic Collaboration on Steam Heat Pump

A collaboration that combines very high temperature heat pump technology with established steam expertise to accelerate the decarbonisation of industrial process heat.

Steam still powers large parts of the world's industry, and it's rarely a green story. Most industrial steam plants today are still fired by gas or oil, because no electric solution has so far been able to match the high temperatures industry needs. That's starting to change.

Solid Energy, a leading Danish manufacturer of very high temperature heat pumps, is proud to announce a strategic collaboration with Clayton Industries to develop a new generation of steam heat pumps capable of delivering steam at up to 4 bar.

Under the collaboration, Solid Energy will provide its proven high-temperature heat pump technology for integration with Clayton Industries’ steam generation module. The combined solution will efficiently produce 4 bar steam and is designed to supplement or replace conventional gas- and oil-fired steam generation equipment.

The new steam heat pump represents an important step in the decarbonisation of industrial process heat. By enabling manufacturers to produce steam using electrically driven heat pump technology, the solution has the potential to significantly reduce fossil-fuel consumption and associated carbon emissions across a wide range of industrial sectors.

Solid Energy has developed the solution by building on its existing heat pump compressor module and proven control architecture. Using the same core components and controls, the technology can now achieve flow temperatures of up to 165°C. The principal change from Solid Energy heat pumps that have been operating successfully for more than ten years is the use of a different refrigerant, enabling the higher operating temperatures required for steam production.

The collaboration brings the complementary strengths of two established industrial technology companies: Solid Energy’s experience in high temperature heat pumps and Clayton Industries’ extensive knowledge of industrial steam generation.

Clayton Industries is a global manufacturer of industrial steam solutions. Its European engineering and production operations have been based in Bornem, Belgium, since 1961. Clayton of Belgium serves as the company’s EMEA headquarters and principal production hub for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The global headquarters of the Clayton Group is in California, with additional production facilities in Mexico and Europe and subsidiaries in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.

By combining proven technologies from both organisations, Solid Energy and Clayton Industries aim to provide industrial customers with a practical, efficient and lower-carbon route to steam generation, supporting the transition away from fossil fuels in some of industry’s most energy-intensive processes.

By adding technologies such as high-temperature heat pumps to our portfolio, we are strengthening our role as a strategic partner for industrial steam solutions.

The future of steam will not be based on one technology alone. Depending on each customer's process, energy availability and decarbonization goals, the right solution may be fired, electric, heat-pump based, heat storage , hybrid :  or a smart combination of technologies.

Our ambition is clear: to help our customers find the most efficient and sustainable way to produce the steam their processes need.