Andrea Duvia, Senior Manager Turboden S.p.A.
This presentation describes the successful project for a paper mill operated by the Delfort Group in Finland. The plant consists of a large-scale heat pump and a downstream steam compressor, and uses waste heat at a temperature of 10–20 °C to generate 12 MWth of superheated steam at 3.4 bar(a) and a temperature of 150–180 °C. The solution developed by Turboden demonstrates the concrete potential of CO₂-free heating technologies as a replacement for fossil fuel boilers in demanding industrial applications requiring steam at temperatures above 150 °C. The plant has been in continuous operation since September 2025, with a COP 10 per cent higher than the promised value, and has been in commercial operation since February 2026.
The presentation describes the technical solution as well as the experiences gained from project implementation and the first year of operation. One of the project’s greatest challenges was installing the heat pump in an existing room with limited floor space. Turboden designed the system to ensure optimum accessibility, maintainability and performance. Furthermore, the process integration of the heat pump and steam compressor was optimised so that the system can respond stably even to very rapid changes in conditions on both the source and load sides.
Finally, various specific use cases for energy suppliers and industrial customers that can be addressed using the technology tested in Delfort will be discussed.
