Process heat is where a heat pump can transform an energy-intensive site’s cost and carbon. A high-temperature unit lifts recovered waste heat — from refrigeration, compressors or a process stream — to a 70-90 °C+ flow, replacing gas or oil process heat and cutting Climate Change Levy exposure. For eligible industrial sectors it is supported by the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.
The hard part is integrating into a live process. The plant is often natural-refrigerant (R290 propane, ammonia or CO2) for the high-temperature duty, which changes the plant-room layout and ventilation, and every tie-in has to be method-statemented into a production window so the site never stops for more than it can afford. We design the waste-heat source, the plant and the process interface as one.
How we install high-temperature & process heat pump
Delivery runs: survey the waste-heat source and the process heat demand; design the high-temperature or natural-refrigerant plant and its DSEAR/ATEX siting and ventilation; stage the process tie-ins into agreed production windows; recover and lift the waste heat into the process flow; then a witnessed commissioning that proves the delivered temperature and efficiency against the design.
What this install includes
- Delivers process heat and hot water at 70-90 C+ for manufacturing, laundries and food
- Recovers waste heat from refrigeration, compressors or process streams into the flow
- Natural-refrigerant (R290, ammonia, CO2) plant for high-temperature duties, installed to DSEAR/ATEX
- Integration into a live process is the hard part, tie-ins are staged around production, not the other way round
Typical high-temperature & process heat pump installation
- Heat output
- 100 kW-2 MW+ thermal
- Heat-pump plant
- high-temperature units to 70-90 C+ flow; waste-heat recovery loops
- Plant / array area
- plant compound, varies by process
- Project value
- £200,000-£3,000,000+
- Payback
- 9 years
- Heat delivered
- heat delivered 200,000-5,000,000 kWh thermal kWh/yr
- Annual CO₂ saved
- 35-900 tonnes
Cost, funding and how it is paid for
A high-temperature & process heat pump installation typically runs to £200,000-£3,000,000+, at a 9-year simple payback once the running-cost saving on a real SCOP is modelled from your consumption. As special-rate integral-feature plant it attracts the Annual Investment Allowance — 100% relief on the first £1m of qualifying spend. The 0% VAT relief covers only residential or relevant-charitable buildings, so general commercial premises do not qualify. See the cost guide, capital allowances and grants and funding.
Siting, acoustic and compliance
Natural and flammable-refrigerant plant carries DSEAR/ATEX siting requirements for the plant room and ventilation. BS EN 378 safety and the F-Gas phase-down of high-GWP refrigerants apply. Eligible sites can access the IETF fuel-switching strand, and the application is aligned with the delivery programme.
Eligible for the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) where the site SIC code qualifies. The F-Gas phase-down of high-GWP refrigerants drives natural-refrigerant designs (R290 propane, ammonia, CO2), which carry DSEAR/ATEX siting requirements for flammable-refrigerant plant. Process tie-ins are method-statemented around production windows. BS EN 378 safety standard and waste-heat recovery integration apply.
Electrical supply and commissioning
A high-temperature & process heat pump installation adds electrical load, so we confirm the incoming supply capacity at survey and start any DNO supply upgrade at feasibility — it is often the longest-lead item. Every install ends with a documented, witnessed commissioning against the BS EN 14825 design. Read our honest view on whether a commercial heat pump is worth it.
High-Temperature & Process Heat Pump Installation: at a glance
| Attribute | Typical for this install |
|---|---|
| Heat output | 100 kW-2 MW+ thermal |
| Plant / siting | plant compound, varies by process |
| Project value | £200,000-£3,000,000+ |
| Simple payback | 9 years |
| Performance standard | BS EN 14825 (SCOP), witnessed commissioning |
Get a free high-temperature & process heat pump installation feasibility
Responds within one working day
- 1. Free desk feasibility from your meter data and roof, no obligation.
- 2. Site survey and a fixed-price proposal, itemised in writing.
- 3. Install and aftercare by MCS-certified engineers.
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Common questions
How much does a commercial heat pump installation cost?
It depends on technology and scale. Air-source typically runs £60,000-£600,000; ground-source £150,000-£2m+ because of the ground works; hybrid boiler-replacement £70,000-£500,000; water-source and heat-network schemes higher again. Cost is driven by the peak heat load, the emitter upgrades required, external-plant siting, and any electrical supply upgrade. We model the full installed cost from the heat-loss survey before you commit, no blind quotes.
Is there a commercial version of the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
No. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is domestic-only and does not cover commercial or non-domestic buildings. Commercial buyers have different, often larger, routes: the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (public bodies), the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (eligible industrial sites), the Green Heat Network Fund (multi-building schemes), and Annual Investment Allowance capital tax relief for any business. We map which of these you qualify for and align the application with the delivery programme.
What happens to our existing gas boiler?
It depends on the design. In a heat-pump-only project the boiler is decommissioned and removed once the new plant is commissioned and proven. In a hybrid design the boiler is retained as the peaking and backup source, and we re-certify its flue, gas train and interlocks as part of handover. We can keep the old boiler live through commissioning either way, so the building is never without heat during the changeover.
Can the heat pump provide cooling as well as heating?
Yes, particularly ground-source and water-source, which deliver low-cost passive or active cooling in summer by reversing the flow, and air-to-air systems which heat and cool by design. That's valuable for offices, care homes, hotels and spaces with IT or process heat. A reversible install means one plant set covers both seasonal duties, which we factor into the plant-room and controls design.
What refrigerants will the system use, and does that affect the install?
Modern units use lower-GWP refrigerants such as R32 (A2L) and increasingly natural refrigerants like R290 (propane), CO2 and ammonia for high-temperature duties, driven by the F-Gas phase-down. Natural and flammable-refrigerant plant carries DSEAR/ATEX siting requirements, which change the plant-room layout and ventilation, so we design for them from the start. All refrigerant work is carried out by F-Gas certified engineers.