The German Aerospace Center (DLR) established the Institute of Low-Carbon Industrial Processes in Cottbus and Zittau in 2019 to research practical pathways toward a climate-neutral industry. The institute focuses on technologies that combine energy efficiency with sustainable energy supply.
ELPRO has now succeeded in convincing the institute to test its EOS process and energy optimization software. This marks the beginning of a promising collaboration aimed at bringing EOS more broadly into industrial applications.
The pilot project focuses on optimizing high-temperature heat pumps, which supply process heat and cooling for industries such as paper, food, and aluminum production. The DLR team in Cottbus is developing prototypes of a reverse Brayton high-temperature heat pump (CoBra). EOS will serve as an AI-based platform to monitor and optimize the system’s performance.
A key component of the project is intelligent thermal storage management, which allows the optimization of electricity use and a significant reduction in energy costs. Given the strong parallels to ELPRO’s successful EOS project at GUW+ (ÜSTRA Hannover), both partners are confident in achieving strong results. The pilot phase will begin in October 2025.
image-credit: DLR (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
