TechUPGRADE Explained: Upgrading Industrial Waste Heat with Thermochemical Storage (Ep. 01)
Episode 01 introduces TechUPGRADE and its thermochemical approach to upgrading industrial waste heat to higher-temperature process heat.
In Episode 01 of the TechUPGRADE Podcast series, Prof. Ahmad Arabkoohsar (DTU), the project coordinator, presents a clear overview of TechUPGRADE and why it matters. The conversation highlights the role of industrial process heat in CO₂ emissions and the challenge of supplying high-temperature heat sustainably and cost-effectively. The episode explains, in simple terms, how the project uses thermochemical principles—based on salt hydrates and pressure/temperature equilibrium—to recover low-temperature waste heat and upgrade it to more useful levels for industrial processes. The discussion also touches on consortium collaboration, progress so far, and the move toward demonstration and testing.
Prof. Ahmad Arabkoohsar is a Professor at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), where he leads the Smart Thermal Energy Systems research group working on sustainability and thermal energy solutions across EU and national projects. In TechUPGRADE, he serves as the Project Coordinator, bringing together a multidisciplinary consortium to develop and demonstrate thermochemical technologies that can recover industrial waste heat and upgrade it to higher temperatures suitable for process heat—supporting industrial decarbonisation and stronger technology leadership in Europe.
Alexandros Touloumtzidis is the host of the TechUPGRADE Podcast series, guiding conversations with project actors to explain TechUPGRADE’s objectives, technological approach, and progress in an accessible way.
Episode 02: The Chemistry Behind TechUPGRADE — Reactive Materials & Tutton Salts
Episode 02 of the TechUPGRADE Podcast explores the chemistry foundations of thermochemical energy storage — the materials that enable industrial waste heat to be stored and upgraded through reversible reactions.
In this episode, Prof. Peter Weinberger (TU Wien) (Material selection, development, and characterizations Lead) explains, in accessible terms, how reactive materials such as salt hydrates can absorb and release heat by cycling between hydrated and dehydrated forms using abundant water vapour. The discussion highlights what makes a material viable in practice: the ability to remain fully reversible, operate within a defined temperature working window, and maintain cycle stability over many charge–discharge cycles. Prof. Weinberger also introduces a promising family of materials — Tutton salts — explaining why structural “flexibility” and diffusion pathways can improve performance. Finally, the episode connects material development with reactor engineering in TechUPGRADE, as partners move from lab-scale testing toward larger reactor demonstrations.
About the guest
Prof. Peter Weinberger is Associate Professor at TU Wien and leads the research area “Magneto- and Thermochemistry,” working at the interface of materials chemistry and thermochemical energy storage. In TechUPGRADE, he leads WP3, contributing expertise in developing and evaluating reactive thermochemical materials for heat upgrading.
Host
Alexandros Touloumtzidis hosts the TechUPGRADE Podcast series, guiding conversations with project partners to explain the project’s approach, progress, and impact.