Tetra Pak’s integrated heat pump system to slash pasteurisation energy use

Nicole Uvenbeck, Director Factory and Fiona Liebehenz, Vice President Key Components, Plant Solutions and Channel Management at Tetra Pak

Tetra Pak has expanded its Factory Sustainable Solutions portfolio with the launch of a new integrated heat pump system for pasteurisers, designed to help food and beverage (F&B) producers cut energy consumption, reduce operating costs, and lower carbon emissions.

Pasteurisation is a vital process for ensuring food safety and quality, but it is also one of the most energy-intensive stages of production. Conventional systems typically rely on fossil fuel boilers for heating and electrical chillers for cooling, leaving producers exposed to high energy costs and volatile fuel markets. Tetra Pak’s new solution aims to change that by electrifying pasteurisation and optimising energy use through advanced heat recovery.

The system introduces a high-efficiency electric heat pump that recovers and reuses heat from the pasteurisation process. For every 1 kWh of electricity consumed, up to 2 kWh of otherwise wasted heat can be recovered — making the system up to three times more efficient than a traditional boiler. By combining heating and cooling in one integrated unit, the technology upgrades low-temperature waste heat to higher temperatures while simultaneously generating ice water for cooling.

This dual function enables significant energy savings. According to Tetra Pak, a typical dairy production line could reduce pasteurisation energy consumption by as much as 77%, delivering annual operating expense savings of up to €230,000 and cutting CO₂ emissions by around 650 tonnes. The system is particularly suited to large-scale pasteurisation processes in categories such as fruit juice, chilled milk, cheese, and ambient milk pre-treatment.

Nicole Uvenbeck, director factory sustainable solutions and OEM components at Tetra Pak, said: “Food and beverage producers need smarter ways to reduce energy use without compromising performance. The new heat pump system delivers up to three times the efficiency of conventional boilers, recovering 2 kWh of heat for every 1 kWh of electricity. By combining deep processing expertise with a global network, we work closely with customers to select the right solution and ensure seamless integration into their operations, supporting their shift toward more resilient, energy-efficient production.”

Fiona Liebehenz, vice president key components, plant solutions and channel management at Tetra Pak, added: “We’re proud that our long-standing experience in developing processing solutions for the food and beverage industry, together with a strong focus on innovation, has led to another important step forward. By blending advanced technology with a deep understanding of the daily challenges F&B producers face, we’ve developed a solution designed to make one of the most energy-intensive stages of food production more efficient.”