On May 27, 2025, the University of Genova (UNIGE) hosted a forward-looking workshop in Hybrid format titled “Innovative Technologies for Decarbonizing Industrial Thermal Needs”, held within the elegant setting of Villa Cambiaso. The workshop, organised in the context of the SOLINDARITY Project Steering Committee meeting, brought together experts from academia and industry to share novel approaches aimed at reducing industrial carbon emissions through advanced thermal energy technologies.
Chaired by Professor Alberto Traverso of UNIGE, and Nikolaos Rogkas from CERTH, the event opened with a welcome address highlighting the workshop’s role in fostering collaboration between research institutions and industrial partners committed to decarbonization pathways.
The first presentation was delivered by Syed Safeer Mehdi Shamsi, also from UNIGE, who introduced the EU-funded SCO2OPTES project. The initiative focuses on utilizing industrial waste heat and enhancing its value through integration with heat pumps and thermal energy storage systems. Dr. Shamsi showcased detailed design components of the test rig, including Compressors, Hot and Cold Turbines, Thermal energy storage, and other components being developed in the course of the European project.
Following this, Vishnu Sishtla from Carrier, a global leader in HVAC and refrigeration technologies, joined online to present cutting-edge technological solutions for the electrification of industrial heat users. He introduced Carrier’s water-source heat pumps (WSHPs), high-efficiency compressors, and systems utilizing natural refrigerant CO₂. Mr. Sishtla emphasized the importance of heat pumps in the broader context of industrial decarbonization, showcasing their scalability and adaptability for various thermal demands.
Leonardo Provana from Turboden (Italy) provided the third presentation, also online, focusing on large-scale heat pump technologies. After presenting the work of Turboden Worldwide, he focused on the decarbonization of power as central to achieve carbon neutrality for end users, particularly though the employment of Large Heat Pumps (LHP) in district heating networks, industrial applications, and integrated with Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). Moreover, he discussed Turboden’s distinctive design in the LHP thermodynamic cycles, and the deployment of industrial heat pumps capable of achieving high-temperature outputs, critical for replacing fossil-based systems in heavy industries. He illustrated two case studies of integrating LHP and MVR using waste heat, in the steelmaking and pulp and paper industries.
The last speaker, Hassan Agalit from the University of Birmingham (UK) presented the work done as part of the SCO2OPTES project to develop a novel Power-to-Heat-to-Power Carnot battery concept based on dual-media thermocline thermal energy storage. His modelling work explored the system’s capability to store excess renewable electricity and later convert it back into thermal or electrical energy as needed, enhancing flexibility and resilience in future energy systems.
The workshop concluded with a Q&A session and networking opportunities between SOLINDARITY partners and other projects, underlining the critical role of cross-sector collaboration in advancing the decarbonization of industrial heat.
