LG Electronics said Wednesday it has supplied an industrial heat pump system with enhanced maximum temperature and capacity to a paper manufacturer in Daegu, as part of a broader strategy to build a full heat pump lineup spanning residential, commercial and industrial applications.
The company recently completed delivery of a large-capacity, wide-temperature-differential industrial heat pump system to Ajin P&P, a Daegu-based paper company, with full operation beginning earlier this month. The project is a government-funded initiative led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2050. A consortium of 15 industry, academic and research institutions — including LG Electronics — has carried it out since 2023.
Industrial heat pumps demand far greater performance and capacity than their residential or commercial counterparts. The newly supplied system raises the outlet water temperature from the roughly 90°C level typical of existing industrial heat pumps to 108°C, with a maximum of 118°C. It also achieves a capacity of up to 1,040RT.
Hot water above 100°C can be applied across a wide range of industrial settings — including paper mills, where drying is essential to production; food factories, where sterilization is required; and chemical and petroleum refining plants. The technology is expected to significantly cut carbon emissions and energy costs.
LG Electronics' industrial heat pump improves energy efficiency by harnessing electric energy and recovering waste heat, rather than burning fossil fuels. The company applied its proprietary large-capacity oil-free magnetic bearing technology, freeing the system from the constraints of lubricant supply while reducing maintenance and electricity costs. The system uses R-1233zd as its refrigerant, a substance with a global warming potential of just 1.
LG Electronics is expanding its industrial heat pump business at home and abroad. According to global market research firm MarketsandMarkets, the global industrial heat pump market is projected to reach $4.8 billion this year.
In 2024, the company supplied a water-source industrial heat pump to the Korea International Trade Association's COEX complex in Seoul. Last year, it secured an overseas reference by supplying an industrial heat pump for district heating to Danish energy company Ørsted. LG is currently pursuing orders at industrial sites across North America and Europe, including the United States, Canada, Norway and Finland.
LG Electronics' high-efficiency, high-performance heat pumps lead the market at home and abroad with a full lineup from residential to commercial to industrial. The company has built 15 years of optimized capabilities and infrastructure since entering the domestic residential heat pump system boiler market in 2011. In Europe — the home of heat pumps — LG continues to win and fulfill orders for large-scale residential complexes and commercial facilities on the strength of its advanced technology and products.
"We will strengthen our push into the global market with differentiated core components and technology in the heat pump sector, which is fundamentally transforming how heating, cooling and thermal energy are used — from residential and commercial spaces to industrial sites," said Lee Jae-sung, president and head of LG Electronics' ES Business Division.
jeongwan@heraldcorp.com
