Power-to-Heat

A successful energy transition requires industry to move away from fossil fuels and adopt sustainable, green technologies. One of the key challenges is the availability of an affordable, market-ready solution for generating climate-neutral process heat.

Otto Junker Solutions has developed a system that centrally generates process heat and can be applied across a wide range of industrial processes. Using power-to-heat technology, processes at temperatures of up to 1,050 °C can be electrified. By means of electrical resistance heating, the system converts electricity into heat with an efficiency of up to 98%. In addition to the direct use of hot air, for example in drying applications or metal heat treatment, the heat can also be transferred via a heat exchanger to thermal oil or used for steam generation. Waste heat is recirculated to the air heater, ensuring a high level of energy efficiency.

When combined with thermal energy storage, the system can take advantage of low-price periods on the electricity market, significantly improving overall economic viability. It can also provide negative balancing power to grid operators, thereby contributing to grid stability. Fast response times are enabled by a cost-efficient standby mode. This allows for highly flexible operation while maintaining a long service life.

The patented temperature monitoring system enables maximum operating temperatures and extended heating element lifetime. The unit achieves a power density of up to 800 kW/m³. It can be operated with both AC and DC power and is scalable from 100 kW to 5 MW. Capacities above 5 MW can be realized through parallel system configuration. Power output can be adjusted continuously, and the system causes no harmful grid effects.

In collaboration with the Solar Institute Jülich, a pilot plant was successfully developed and commissioned as part of the “multiTESS” project. The aim of this project was to generate heat from surplus energy, store it, and convert it back into electricity.