IEA Task 44: Power-to-Heat and heat integrated Carnot Batteries for Zero-Carbon (industrial) heat supply

Right now, Danish Technological Institute is participating in a project, whose primary goal is to evaluate and illuminate the role of storage supported power-to-heat and heat-integrated Carnot batteries in the energy transition – a critical area of investigation for advancing sustainable and resilient energy systems with at very high security of supply.
 

Project start March 2024. Expected completion date March 2027.
 

The project focuses on “Power-to-Heat and Heat Integrated Carnot Batteries for Zero Carbon (industrial) heat supply”. The aim of the task is to create a common understanding of the potential of these technologies in the industry and policy domain. It will involve a comprehensive examination of the technologies, including modelling and simulation, technology reviews, use case identification and classification, mapping technologies with use cases, developing roadmaps and policies, and dissemination of findings.

The key objectives of Task 44 are to:

• Identify the main roles of the storage supported Power-to-Heat and heat integrated Carnot battery solutions and map the design configurations to the use cases.
• Raise awareness of the stakeholders by creating a common understanding of the (role of) Power-to-Heat technologies and heat integrated Carnot batteries.
• Facilitate technology entrance to market through the identification of best go opportunities.
• Provide information to policy makers to create suited regulatory frameworks and support schemes to further the market uptake.

As mentioned, the project focusses on the design and – in particular – the integration of thermal storage supported power-to-heat systems and heat-integrated Carnot batteries, which encompasses a multitude of technologies with the following mandatory key features:

• Electricity-based charging as for example heat pumps
• Thermal storage, which can be sensible, latent or thermo-chemical.

With respect to the applications/use cases, the task will focus on large scale applications, such as:

• Grid applications – e.g. electricity storage, auxiliary services and sector coupling.
• Industry applications – e.g. electrification of steam supply.
• District heating applications in combination with grid or industry applications.

Apart from the technological aspects, this task will also address business cases, potential market mechanisms and regulatory framework.

Our participation in this task aligns with Denmark’s strategic objectives of transitioning to a zero carbon energy system, while retaining a very high security of supply, and we anticipate that our active involvement in this task will facilitate technology transfer, foster collaborations, and spur innovation in the Danish energy sector. 

About the project group
In this project, which will run for three years (starting March 2024), Danish Technological Institute (project manager) will collaborate with a wide range of partners:

• Danfoss, Heliac, DTU Construct, DTU Energy, AAU Energy, PlanEnergi, Copenhagen Atomics and DACES.

Our consortium brings together a unique blend of technical expertise, industry experience, and policy understanding. Our input to the project will range from providing data for modelling and simulation, assessing technology options, identifying and classifying use cases, to contributing to policy roadmaps. We will also play a crucial role in disseminating the findings from this task, leveraging our extensive network in the Danish energy sector.

Funding
The project receives funding from EUDP.

Read more about Danish Technological as Denmark's representative in the IEA Heat Pump Programme.