Sabroe HitemHP industrial heat pumps

Johnson Controls has announced the launch of the Sabroe HitemHP series of high-temperature industrial heat pumps. Designed and manufactured in Europe, this thermodynamic system enables industrial sectors to electrify thermal processes and reduce operational emissions by providing output temperatures of up to 122°C.

Thermal challenges in advanced manufacturing
The pharmaceutical, biotech, advanced manufacturing, and food and beverage processing sectors demand energy-intensive operating conditions. For industrial processes requiring temperatures above 100°C, companies have historically depended on fossil fuel-based boiler systems. These thermal architectures generate high operating costs, present technical barriers to decarbonization, and expose facilities to energy price volatility.

Compressor architecture and capacity modulation
Manufactured at the company's facility in Holme, Denmark, the HitemHP range integrates the Sabroe SMC single-stage reciprocating compressor. This aerodynamic innovation maintains the mechanical reliability of the system even under partial load conditions. To adapt to facility fluctuations, the machine's capacity can be modulated from 100% down to a minimum of 18%. When operating at partial load, the equipment achieves a coefficient of performance (COP) up to 20% higher than that recorded at full capacity, significantly reducing electricity consumption and extending maintenance intervals by nearly 50%.

Operational efficiency and modular design
In a customer application where the platform was combined with waste heat from a refrigeration plant, the system demonstrated energy efficiency up to three times higher than that of conventional electric boilers. This implementation reduced energy costs by more than 91%, decreased annual water consumption costs by up to 30%, and cut on-site CO2 emissions by 82%. On the environmental level, the equipment uses only butane and isobutane, natural refrigerants with an ultra-low global warming potential (GWP) to comply with upcoming European regulations. Its standardized build-to-order architecture allows for compact, factory-assembled units to be delivered to minimize installation complexity.

Additional context
This section details technical specifications and competitive benchmarking not included in the original product announcement

In the European market for high-temperature industrial heat pumps, Johnson Controls' Sabroe HitemHP range competes with thermodynamic platforms such as the Oilon ChillHeat series and high-temperature solutions from MAN Energy Solutions. While many conventional heat pump systems rely on synthetic refrigerants (HFOs or HFC blends) to reach thresholds above 100°C, Johnson Controls' architecture relies strictly on natural hydrocarbons. This design choice immunizes the plant against imminent European restrictions on PFAS substances, known as forever chemicals. By utilizing optimized reciprocating compressors rather than high-cost centrifugal or screw compression technologies, the system offers deep capacity modulation, which is critical in batch industrial processes where thermal demand fluctuates drastically during the production cycle.

Edited by Maria Brueva, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.johnsoncontrols.com