U.S. Food Industry Embracing Heat Pumps

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Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Food companies doing business in the United States were among those that said they could decarbonize large segments of their operations using electric boilers and heat pumps, drawing on financial support from the federal government.

The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) (Chicago, Illinois), the company behind everything from macaroni and cheese to Maxwell House coffee, said it was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive up to $170 million to support clean-energy programs at 10 of its plants in the country.

"The infrastructure changes made at these 10 plants will allow us to replicate successful technologies and processes across our remaining U.S. plants and globally, making us more efficient as we continue to make upgrades to more locations," said Helen Davis, the head of North America operations at Kraft Heinz.

The company aims to use the funds for a range of clean-energy technologies, from thermal energy storage to heat pumps. All of the plants are located east of the Mississippi River.

The technology could help Kraft Heinz see overall energy usage decline by around 20%, natural gas use drop by 97% and water use reduced by 3% from its operations.

The company has engaged with French energy company Engie S.A. (Paris, France) to support its decarbonization efforts.

Elsewhere, Unilever (NYSE:UL) (London, England) said it was pursuing similar strategies with its ice cream business in the United States, tapping into a potential $20.9 million in federal support to cut carbon emissions by 14,000 metric tons per year.

At plants that produce Ben & Jerry's ice cream, among others, Unilever said it would replace natural gas boilers with electric boilers and industrial heat pumps. This could lead to emissions-free heating at its plants in Missouri, Tennessee and Vermont.

At plants that produce Breyers ice cream, among others, Unilever said it would replace natural gas boilers with electric boilers and industrial heat pumps. This could lead to emissions-free heating at its plants in Missouri, Tennessee and Vermont.

Last week, Unilever announced plans to spin off its ice cream business.

Incentives for heat pumps in the residential sector were included in President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act. The DOE, meanwhile, announced some 30 projects in more than 20 states could tap into as much as $6 billion in federal funding for clean energy technologies that cater to hard-to-abate heavy industries, such as food.

Combined, the government believes the projects could cut carbon emissions by more than 14 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of removing 3 million gas-powered vehicles from the road.

All told, the industrial sector accounts for about a quarter of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Federal support expands beyond the food and beverage sector to include refining, cement, metals and glass.

"Spurring on the next generation of decarbonization technologies in key industries like steel, paper, concrete and glass will keep America the most competitive nation on Earth," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

Heat pumps in particular have grown in popularity as the world's leading economies look for new ways to lower their carbon footprints. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said last year that heat pumps will need to account for 20% of global heating needs by 2030 in order to meet existing climate pledges.

Heat pumps are catching on in the United States with support from state and federal incentives. Efforts elsewhere, however, have not enjoyed similar success. The British government, for example, set a goal of seeing 600,000 heat pumps installed by 2028, though just 55,000 were sold in 2022, the BBC reported.

Costs and a lack of understanding are to blame. The government estimates air-sourced heat pumps, the most common form used in typical British households, can cost US$12,000 more than a gas boiler.

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