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Pioneering hydrogen heating
The hydrogen heat pump was developed by the Dutch technology company Cooll. A demonstration house in Groningen is currently being heated with an adsorption heat pump running on 100% hydrogen. The technology developed by Cooll previously proved successful for high-tech space applications for ESA. This innovation has now been readied for use in heat pumps on earth.
Green hydrogen and green gas
This milestone opens a new route to sustainable heating by making more efficient use of renewable fuels such as green hydrogen. Compared to a high-efficiency boiler, 30-40% less fuel is needed to heat a home. Natural gas can still be used in the transition period, which already leads to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions immediately. After switching to green gas, an efficient CO2-neutral heating solution is created.
World's First Hydrogen (H2) Heat Pump
Cooll's adsorption heat pump runs on hydrogen (H2)
World's First Hydrogen (H2) Heat Pump
HEAT House at EnTranCe in Groningen
World's First Hydrogen (H2) Heat Pump
Energy Barn at EnTranCe in Groningen
World's First Hydrogen (H2) Heat Pump
EnTranCe - Centre of Expertise Energy
Testing at EnTranCe in Groningen
To validate the operation of the hydrogen heat pump, Cooll expanded its lab facilities in Hengelo to include hydrogen test rigs. After initial testing in its own labs, the heat pump was installed at Entrance’s HEAT House in Groningen, a leading research centre in hydrogen applications. Various outdoor conditions and heat demand scenarios have since been tested under realistic conditions. The results show that the year-round performance of the hydrogen heat pump is comparable to that of the natural gas variant. Meanwhile, the heat pump has successfully run on hydrogen for a month.
Successful collaboration
This world first was achieved through a successful collaboration between the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO), Cooll, GasTerra and EnTranCe. It builds on collaborations with the University of Twente and European Space Agency, among others. The core technology is also currently being used for vibration-free cooling in the Einstein Telescope. It shows that the Netherlands is a key player in the development of sustainable thermodynamic innovations.
“Unlocking multiple routes to sustainability has been a key goal for GasTerra. With this, we are laying the foundation for a new development of the gas market in the Netherlands, which has been of crucial importance for the prosperity growth of the Netherlands. With the development of this technology, we are creating options for the difficult-to-sustain market in the non-industrial sector.”
Gerard Martinus
Energy Transition Manager at GasTerra
“It is clear that the heating market needs alternatives as the electricity market and grid become increasingly gridlocked. The successful demonstration highlights the potential of hydrogen and other green gases as an alternative energy source for residential heating.”
“We highlight the need for parallel routes to make our heating demand more sustainable. The H2-ready heat pump gives perspective for the future while at the same time being one of the routes to reduce our natural gas consumption in the short term. In the longer term, the existing gas grid can be used to switch to green gases such as biogas, green hydrogen or synthetic gas.”
Johannes Burger
Technology Director / Co-Founder of Cooll
An efficient and versatile technology
Cooll’s adsorption heat pump is a monoblock heat pump that can be installed indoors. The system works very efficiently with high-temperature radiators, making it suitable for the vast majority of difficult-to-sustain homes. By replacing the boiler, this heat pump reduces gas consumption and CO2 emissions by 30-40%, without increasing electricity consumption. Moreover, the heat pump is silent and can be installed in one day.
Combined with high-temperature radiators, the technology can even deliver higher CO2 and energy savings than electric and hybrid heat pumps. This makes it an attractive choice for homeowners who want to reduce their carbon footprint without making major modifications to their homes.
Cooll Sustainable Energy Solutions (Hengelo) is a spin-off from the University of Twente. The company grew out of the development of innovative cooling systems, including in projects for ESA. In 2025, Cooll will take the first steps towards mass production of its adsorption heat pump to enable market introduction in the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
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Vsit cooll.com for more info or contact:
Johannes Burger
Founder / Technology Director
+316 – 2695 8134
johannes.burger@cooll.com
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Cooll
High Tech Systems Park
Haaksbergerstraat 85
7554 PA Hengelo (OV)
+3153 – 7890 623
info@cooll.com
