To further decarbonisation for the SMS group, GETEC has installed a unique power-to-heat system that features one of the largest air-to-water heat pump systems currently available in Germany.

Offsetting 6,000 tonnes of CO₂ requires more than 200,000 trees. At the SMS group production plant in Hilchenbach, around 100 kilometres east of Cologne, a new power-to-heat system from GETEC is saving precisely that amount of CO₂ each year. This one-of-a-kind system supplies 50,000 m² of halls, offices and buildings with heat while also saving an estimated 15% of energy through improved efficiency. Introducing the all-electric system is a key driver for the SMS group to achieve the goal of climate neutrality at the Hilchenbach site by 2030.

The SMS group is renowned worldwide for its technologies, products and services for the metals industry. GETEC has operated a heating plant based on fossil fuels to supply heat to the SMS buildings in Hilchenbach since 2004, and has now converted that plant. The new air-to-water heat pump system transforms the heating network into a greenhouse gas-neutral system, with a two-stage heat pump cascade, an electric boiler, a heat storage tank and peripherals for heating water.

The game-changing heat pump system

It is estimated that air-to-water heat pumps typically use 70–80% less energy than boilers heated with fossil fuels. They are also highly efficient, generating 3–5 units of heat for every one unit of electricity consumed. At Hilchenbach, the new heat pumps from GETEC replaced the existing natural gas-fired system, transforming the 3.4-kilometre-long heating network into a climate-friendly system.

The system features four air-to-water heat pumps combined into one integrated heating solution that is currently one of the largest such systems installed in Germany. These pumps extract thermal energy from the ambient air, even at sub-zero temperatures, and store this energy in tanks. Then, water-to-water heat pumps heat the tanks up to 85 degrees Celsius. In this way, the entire system generates a thermal output of 4 MWth. A buffer storage system guarantees heat availability at peak requirements, while an electric boiler provides a temperature boost to increase the flow temperature up to 95 degrees Celsius. As it is a closed system, no additional water is needed or consumed.

“The power-to-heat plant is a central building block on our way to climate-neutral operation at the Hüttenbach site,” says Fabiola Fernandez, CFO, SMS group. “We are driving the decarbonisation of the global steel industry. However, it is just as important to us to take on responsibility in-house and to consistently implement sustainability in our plants.”

In the interest of lower project costs and a shorter construction time, the power-to-heat system was integrated into the existing boiler house. GETEC made tremendous efforts to keep the old system operating during construction, to ensure uninterrupted heat supply.

Staged process and digital control

The heat pump’s staged process is adaptable based on the season and the heating requirements. Once the ambient air energy is extracted and stored, the heat pumps transform the stored energy to the desired output temperature level. The electric boiler is controlled externally for participation in the electricity grid, enabling SMS to generate additional revenue through supporting the local energy market while also helping to stabilise the grid.

The intelligent control system has an AI-supported forecasting and predictive use model that adjusts the operation depending on the weather and load. The four different modes of operation (generate, store, absorb and load) enable the system to optimise energy; to decouple heat generation from heat use in time and, in particular, to use cheap and renewable electricity.

“The switch to renewable energies and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions represent a major contribution to our sustainability efforts, which focus not only on emissions reduction but the entire value chain, but also on the company's internal activities,” says Marc Hoffmann, Executive Vice President, SMS group.

Unique power-to-heat system that features one of the largest air-to-water heat pump systems currently available in Germany.

Powering towards a sustainable future

GETEC has ensured the system is ready for the future, with a modular design that can be expanded to include additional regenerative system components. This could include integrating waste heat sources, such as electrolysers and fuel cells, into the system to further increase the energy efficiency of the plant.

For the project, GETEC took on the approvals, engineering, plant installation, financing and much more. GETEC also ensures the operation, maintenance and servicing for the next eight years. Funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in Germany and financed by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, the project emphasises the commitment of GETEC and the SMS group to phasing out fossil fuels and implementing sustainable energy projects.

“This is a lighthouse project for the entire energy industry,” says Dr Zimmermann. “It offers a viable template for decarbonised and flexible heat supply systems, without using fossil fuels, for a wide range of industries and municipalities.”