Innovation group "process heat" visits the pilot plant CoBra in Cottbus
The CoBra test facility of the Institute of Low-Carbon Industrial Processes was the highlight of the second meeting of the "Process Heat" innovation group. The kick-off took place in a Cottbus industrial park: The Cottbus Brayton Facility (CoBra for short) high-temperature heat pump is located there. The pilot plant of the DLR Institute of Low-Carbon Industrial Processes makes a significant contribution to the heat transition in industry, as it can achieve a heat output temperature of 300 degrees Celsius with a heat output of around 200 kilowatts. This process heat is sufficient for many industrial sectors. Thus, the test plant offers an alternative to the use of fossil fuels.
With a panoramic view over the boomtown Cottbus, the participants from all over Germany then discussed the current state of the art, framework conditions as well as future potentials of the different CO2-neutral alternative technologies for the generation of process heat. These were presented in a study on "CO2-neutral process heat generation" commissioned by the Federal Environment Agency by Dr. Christian Schwotzer and Dr. Matthias Rehfeldt at the IKMZ of the BTU Cottbus - Senftenberg.
Under the technical leadership of Prof. Dr. Uwe Riedel (DLR), Prof. Dr. Mario Ragwitz (Fraunhofer IEG) as well as Marius Hachenberg (Enviva Inc.) the innovation group plans the further procedure. One idea is to develop a checklist for process analysis and integration. The next meeting of the innovation group is scheduled for this October.