Can Heat Pumps Deliver 90°C Process Hot Water for Automotive Plants? What the Data and Policy Signals Say

Why policy is accelerating this now

Global — IEA. The IEA's The Future of Heat Pumps estimates heat pumps could cut global CO₂ emissions by at least 500 million tonnes by 2030 — roughly the annual emissions of all cars in Europe today. For industry, the IEA flags large untapped potential in low-temperature process heat: in Europe alone, about 15 GW could be installed across 3,000 facilities in the paper, food, and chemicals sectors. Even on emissions-intensive grids, heat pumps cut greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 20% versus a gas boiler; on cleaner grids, up to 80%.

India — PAT and ADEETIE. India's Bureau of Energy Efficiency operates the Perform-Achieve-Trade (PAT) scheme, a market-based mechanism setting energy-efficiency targets for energy-intensive industries, with over-achievers earning tradable Energy Saving Certificates. In July 2025 the Ministry of Power went further, launching ADEETIE — a ₹1,000 crore programme (FY2025-26 to FY2027-28) offering 5% interest subvention to micro and small enterprises and 3% to medium enterprises adopting energy-efficient technologies, spanning 60 clusters across 14 energy-intensive sectors. Industrial process heat is squarely in scope.

EU — REPowerEU and carbon pricing. The EU's REPowerEU plan aims to double the heat-pump deployment rate, within a headline goal of 30 million heat pumps by 2030 under the Fit for 55 package. Industrial emitters face the EU Emissions Trading System carbon price, which keeps fossil-fired process heat structurally expensive — a cost signal that propagates through automotive supply chains.

China — state-level endorsement. The 2023 White Paper itself, issued by the Heat Pump Committee of the China Energy Conservation Association, is the signal: industrial heat pumps are now an officially recognised technology pathway for industrial decarbonisation in China.