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.