Industrial Heat: India Embraces Clean Tech

India's industrial sector, which consumed nearly half of the nation's final energy in 2025, heavily depends on fossil fuels for process heat. Low-temperature heat and steam, essential for sectors like textiles and food processing, are primarily met through burning coal, oil, and gas.

This reliance is problematic due to geopolitical uncertainties and volatile supply chains. Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in sectors such as textiles and paper are particularly affected, often using older, conventional thermal systems. Decarbonizing this industrial heat is thus a critical socio-economic priority, offering co-benefits like improved air quality and energy security.

Industrial heat pumps emerge as a practical and scalable technology for this challenge. Unlike boilers, they don't burn fuel but use electricity to move and upgrade heat, achieving a coefficient of performance of 3 to 5. This efficiency significantly reduces electricity needs for electrification and makes switching from combustion economically attractive.

These modular systems can be integrated into existing industrial ecosystems, serving specific loads like pre-heating feedwater or supporting dyeing processes. When combined with heating and cooling needs, heat pumps can simultaneously generate heat and provide cooling, enhancing system efficiency and worker well-being. Displacement of on-site combustion also mitigates harmful air pollutants, reducing premature deaths linked to industrial emissions.