Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) plans to trial ultra-efficient high-temperature heat pumps at one of its sites.
The company’s associate director Sashidar Rajendra said he hoped the pumps – developed by UK clean-technology startup HotGreen Solutions – would “help accelerate us towards our 2040 net zero targets”.
The trial comes as HotGreen Solutions announced it had secured £1.2m in a pre-seed funding round, led by Empirical Ventures. The round also saw “strategic participation” from First Imagine! Ventures, The Conduit Impact Fund, and Almanac Ventures.
Industrial process heat accounts for more than 20% of global CO2 emissions, HotGreen says, yet “has been historically overlooked by innovation”.
The start-up’s ultra-efficient high-temperature heat pump technology integrates with existing infrastructure at legacy industrial facilities, delivering four times the efficiency of traditional boilers it claims.
Each installation takes three to five days and it is estimated typical industrial facilities, such as a brewer, distiller or dairy processing plant, would save €0.5m annually on energy bills compared to traditional boilers, while also avoiding 3,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
“We see real impact potential in HotGreen Solutions’ approach to decarbonisation – which aligns with our own sustainability ambitions,” Rajendra added.
By HotGreen’s estimates, its lower equipment costs and operational efficiency allows its clients across most global markets to target payback periods of under two years.
Georgia Ware, CEO and co-founder of HotGreen said the company – founded last year – was established “out of frustration for the lack of affordable solutions industry had to decarbonise profitably”.
“We saw a clear unmet need for a low-carbon, commercially-viable solution that industry could adopt at scale,” she said. “Despite rising energy bills and its substantial carbon footprint, industrial heat has seen little innovation. It’s the elephant in the climate-tech room, but also a major market opportunity. Our isothermal compressor technology delivers a leading heat pump solution with clear cost and operational benefits for sectors struggling with energy costs and emissions.”
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