Industrial Drying with Superheated, Dry Steam in a Closed-Loop System with Heat Pumps Cuts Energy Use by Up to 80% Over Hot Air Drying

     Industrial drying is notoriously energy-intensive. It is used by paper mills, cement plants, chemical factories, and food processors. It is typically done with hot air powered by natural gas. Researchers at Fraunhofer IGB, Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, have developed an alternative method that cuts drying energy consumption by up to 80%. The method, known as LowCarbDry, uses superheated steam generated by electricity. combined with heat pumps and smart scheduling software. The steam is sprayed. There are pilot projects underway. Antoine Dalibard, a research scientist at Fraunhofer IGB, described the new technology:

 “Instead of drying moist products with hot air, we use superheated, dry steam in a closed-loop system,” he said. “Closing the process gas circuit minimizes heat loss to the outside, making the process more energy-efficient than traditional hot-air drying methods.”

     Interesting Engineering notes:

“The steam that exits the product is not wasted. It can be condensed, and that condensation releases heat at about 90 to 100°C (194 to 212°F). That heat can be fed back into the facility or supplied to a local district heating network.”

     The method is powered by electricity. The heat pump is used to raise the temperature of the low-temperature steam so that it can be reused. This is done by a common process in waste heat recovery known as mechanical vapor recompression (MVR), where compressors increase the pressure of excess steam from the drying process so that it can be used for subsequent drying. This makes the process much more efficient than hot air drying, where the excess heat is lost. The system uses model predictive control to run the drying process. This can allow it to optimize renewable power when it is most available, making it up to 80% more efficient.

     They say that the method can be used with belt dryers, drum dryers, and spray dryers.

“The process enabled us to dry mineral raw materials, construction materials, organic residues, along with food and animal feed, while preserving product quality and maintaining high energy efficiency,” Dalibard said.

     As noted, there are pilots running, and the path to commercialization is looking really good.

     A post by Fraunhofer’s Dr. Claudia Vorbeck notes:

“By using electricity-generated superheated steam, the partners aim to reduce drying energy demand by a factor of 2 to 4, depending on the drying method and temperature level.”

     The excess steam could also be used for other processes, such as district heating.

“We have already tested our drying process in a wide range of applications. The process enabled us to dry mineral raw materials, construction materials, organic residues, along with food and animal feed, while preserving product quality and maintaining high energy efficiency,” says Dalibard.

 

References:

 

Steam-based industrial drying cuts energy use 80% and runs on renewable electricity. Munis Raza. Interesting Engineering. August 4, 2026. Steam-based industrial drying cuts energy use 80% and runs on renewable electricity

Energy-Efficient Electric Drying With Superheated Steam. Dr. Claudia Vorbeck. Fraunhofer. August 3, 2026. Energy-Efficient Electric Drying With Superheated Steam