On 17 June 2026, recent findings from the University of Geneva (Mostafa Babaei and Martin K. Patel) on industrial decarbonization and heat pump integration in the Swiss pulp and paper sector were presented to industry stakeholders, along with the ASTRA framework for automated industrial heat pump design.
The exchange took place with representatives from Tela GmbH, including Stefan Kammer and Sebastian Birk.
The presentation highlighted opportunities for drying processes, steam supply, heat recovery from exhaust air, waste-derived steam generation, electrification of industrial heating systems, the potential role of high-temperature heat pumps in site-specific decarbonization strategies, and integration into energy-intensive manufacturing processes.
The meeting provided valuable industrial feedback and confirmed the relevance of tailored, flexible decision-support tools such as ASTRA for assessing realistic heat pump integration opportunities in Swiss paper production.
The discussion was well received and led to a constructive exchange on the specific characteristics of tissue paper production compared with the paper grades studied in the publications.
Overall, the event strengthened knowledge transfer between research and industry and supported practical decarbonization pathways in Switzerland.
Relevant Links:
Journal of Cleaner Production paper
Authors: Mostafa Babaei and Martin K. Patel, University of Geneva
