Now sitting at BASF’s Ludwigshafen location, a crucial piece of what will become one of the planet’s strongest industrial heat pumps has arrived. Progress ticks forward as this centerpiece makes its way into place.
Weighing 95 tons and measuring approximately 16 meters in length, the plate falling-film evaporator was transported several hundred kilometers via inland waterways from Schwedt before arriving at BASF’s main site. The unit was then moved across the plant using a heavy-haul truck to the steam cracker construction area, where installation is now underway.
Steam begins forming inside the evaporator, key to how the updated heat pump functions. This vapor lacks oxygen, making it fit for heavy-duty uses. After creation, pathways within BASF’s interconnected system move the steam onward. Energy moves where needed most, flowing into different parts of manufacturing operations.
Built under guidance from GIG Karasek, who shaped the design and runs heat pump assembly. Most parts fit exact needs tied to Ludwigshafen’s setup. Foundations like halls and electrical buildings stand ready, while pipes linking to the cracker are mostly hooked up.
Starting with clean power, the heat pump should deliver nearly half a million tons of carbon-free steam every year – its heating strength hitting about 50 megawatts. Mainly backing formic acid creation, it slashes linked climate pollution close to 98%, matching roughly one hundred thousand metric tons less CO2 yearly.
A government initiative in Germany helps fund the effort through a carbon pricing scheme. Work should wrap up around the middle of 2027.
