Gloggnitz, Austria, 11.02.2025
GIG Karasek has been awarded a contract by BASF SE to provide the EPC delivery of the world’s most powerful industrial heat pump system for the electrification of steam generation at the BASF site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The project is funded with up to €310 million by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and will be able to save up to 100,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually. This planned facility for utilizing industrial waste heat is unique on a global scale. Commissioning is scheduled for 2027.
To supply the BASF Ludwigshafen site with CO₂-free steam in the future – meaning steam generated without the use of fossil fuels – GIG Karasek will install a large-scale heat pump powered by green electricity. Unused waste heat from a steam cracker will be converted into CO₂-free process steam using the innovative CompriVAP heat pump solution. The new plant will feature a capacity of up to 50 MWth (megawatts thermal) and an 11-stage system with compressors, making it the largest CompriVAP system ever implemented on an industrial scale.
Visualization of the CompriVAP technology for the large-scale heat pump at the BASF Ludwigshafen site. @ GIG Karasek
The contract includes basic and detailed engineering, control and automation technology, procurement management, delivery and installation of plant components, as well as commissioning.
Andreas Schnitzhofer, Managing Director at GIG Karasek, states: "Being the EPC contractor for this project is a milestone in our company’s history and a significant achievement in our new environmental technologies. We look forward to soon putting our CompriVAP heat pump system into operation on this large scale!"
Josef Grassauer, Sales Manager at GIG Karasek, adds: "This new system offers enormous potential for primary energy savings while also presenting a variety of conditions that must be met. I am particularly proud that our team has developed a customized technological solution that has demonstrated an impressive COP (coefficient of performance) of > 3 !"
With the new industrial heat pump system, BASF reduces the greenhouse gases generated during the production of formic acids at its Ludwigshafen site by 98%. This marks another significant step in the chemical company’s green transformation of industrial chemical processes.
Tilmann Hezel, Senior Vice President of Infrastructure at the BASF Ludwigshafen site, comments: "BASF is committed to achieving net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. To reach this goal, we need new technologies that we can integrate into our chemical production site, enabling us to generate the energy we need for production in a sustainable way. Industrial heat pumps play a crucial role in electrifying steam generation and making it CO₂-free. We are pleased to have found a partner in GIG Karasek whose extensive experience in this technology sector makes them the ideal choice to implement this project with us."
Visualization of the CompriVAP technology for the large-scale heat pump at the BASF Ludwigshafen site. @ GIG Karasek
GIG Karasek, part of the Dr. Aichhorn Group, is a globally operating industrial partner with decades of experience in thermal separation technology, including evaporation, distillation, and drying. In addition to cutting-edge solutions for liquid concentration, the company has increasingly focused on pioneering environmental technologies since 2022. These include industrial heat recovery, electrochemical conversion of CO₂ into valuable products, and innovative IIoT solutions. With high-quality process technology "Made in Austria," GIG Karasek provides forward-thinking solutions for a sustainable industry.
Contact us to learn more: presse.gigkarasek@gigkarasek.at
Visualization of the CompriVAP technology for the large-scale heat pump at the BASF Ludwigshafen site. @ GIG Karasek