Armstrong International secures grant to accelerate sustainable production

Armstrong is rapidly scaling up heat pump manufacturing to support sustainable food and beverage production.

Armstrong International, a global leader in thermal utilities, has secured funding from the European Commission’s Innovation Fund to accelerate the expansion of its manufacturing facility in Herstal, Belgium. The grant, managed by the “European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency” (CINEA), will enhance Armstrong’s capacity to produce innovative low-carbon technologies, supporting Europe’s broader objectives of strengthening industrial manufacturing and advancing climate neutrality.

“This support allows us to fast-track the development of our heat pump production capabilities, which are crucial for Europe’s journey toward decarbonisation,” said Kurt Armstrong, CEO of Armstrong International. “High-temperature heat pumps are central to our circular thermal methodology, which integrates de-steaming, advanced heat recovery, and low-grade heat recovery. This approach is increasingly adopted by companies with Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitments as they aim to decarbonise their thermal systems by 2030.”

Armstrong’s Herstal project is one of 25 cleantech manufacturing projects selected under the European Commission’s 2023 call for proposals, receiving a portion of the €1.4 billion in cleantech grants (additional to 3.4 Bn€ for end-users’ projects) from the Innovation Fund — Europe’s flagship financial program for advancing innovative low-carbon technologies.

“This expansion is a critical step in delivering sustainable, energy-efficient solutions for industrial applications across Europe,” said Rossen Ivanov, EMEA managing director at Armstrong. “It will help meet the growing demand in Europe for decarbonising industrial heat below 200 degrees Celsius by recovering waste heat from processes and cooling systems — reducing up to 70% of the primary energy demand at industrial sites in sectors like food and beverage. This ‘efficient electrification’ not only contributes towards climate goals, but also enhances energy security by replacing imported gas with local renewable electricity; and also boosts industrial competitiveness by reducing and stabilising energy costs for EU industries.”

Construction at the Herstal site is set to begin in summer 2025, pending final Grant Agreement, with the facility expected to be operational by early 2027. The project includes a comprehensive infrastructure upgrade over two years, focusing on building a new modular facility capable of producing up to 50MW of industrial high-temperature heat pumps by 2027. This initiative will also scale the advanced technology developed with Armstrong’s joint venture partner, Combitherm, expanding capabilities to include direct low-pressure steam generation.

“We are proud to be part of a portfolio of innovative projects driving sustainable industrial transformation across Europe,” added Kurt Armstrong. “But this expansion is also part of Armstrong’s broader program to increase production of industrial high-temperature heat pumps across the world. The Herstal facility complements our expanding manufacturing capabilities in the United States and India as well as existing operations in China and Mexico.”

By 2027, Armstrong’s worldwide manufacturing capacity for industrial high-temperature heat pumps is set to exceed 200MW, positioning the company to meet growing global demand for decarbonisation solutions.

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