# BESS • ORC • Thermal Storage • OT Cybersecurity • Project Financing Request Feasibility Review

You Already Paid for the Heat. The Question Is Whether It Can Produce Power.

Many industrial plants continuously reject usable heat.

The heat may be removed through cooling towers, condensers, cooling water loops, dry coolers, steam condensate systems or process streams.

In many facilities, this heat is simply cooled before reuse or discharge.

ORC technology can convert suitable low-temperature waste heat into electricity.

This is especially attractive when the heat source is stable, the runtime is high and the electricity can be consumed on-site.

The energy already exists.

The company already paid for it.

The question is whether it can be converted into useful power.

When ORC Works Best

The strongest cases usually involve:

  • Heat above approximately 70–75°C
  • Stable flow
  • High annual runtime
  • Continuous or near-continuous operation
  • Cooling water or cold-side infrastructure
  • High electricity cost
  • Available space
  • Practical integration points
  • A heat source that is currently wasted or underutilized

The economics depend on temperature, flow, stability, cooling conditions, electricity value and installation practicality.

This is not a universal solution.

But where the fit is right, waste heat-to-power can create meaningful savings without interfering with core production.

Typical Candidate Sectors

  • Chemicals
  • Fertilizers
  • PET / polyols
  • Metals
  • Steel and non-ferrous metals
  • Paper and pulp
  • Food processing
  • Industrial utilities
  • District energy
  • Heavy manufacturing
  • Refineries and petrochemicals
  • Mining and minerals
  • Plants with condensate, cooling loops or low-temperature process heat

Best-Fit Conditions

Temperature

Continuous heat streams above approximately 70–75°C are the first screening point. Higher and more stable temperatures generally improve the case.


Flow

Stable water, condensate, steam or process flows with sufficient heat quantity.


Cooling

Cooling towers, dry coolers, cooling water systems or other cold-side infrastructure can improve feasibility.


Runtime

24/7 or high annual operating hours create stronger economics.


Electricity Value

The project is strongest where generated electricity offsets expensive grid electricity.


Integration

The site needs practical access to hot and cold integration points, space, controls and maintenance access.


Initial Feasibility Questions

  • What is the waste heat temperature?
  • What is the heat form: hot water, steam, condensate, exhaust gas or process fluid?
  • What is the flow rate?
  • How many hours per year is the heat available?
  • Is the heat stable or variable?
  • Is cooling water available?
  • What is the cold-side temperature?
  • Are cooling towers or dry coolers already installed?
  • Is the electricity consumed internally or exported?
  • What is the current electricity price?
  • Is there space for equipment?
  • Are there shutdown windows for integration?
  • Are there known bottlenecks in the existing heat recovery system?

Why Industrial Clients Consider ORC

  • It can create value from existing losses.
  • It can reduce purchased electricity.
  • It can improve overall plant efficiency.
  • It can reduce indirect emissions.
  • It can support ESG and CSRD reporting.
  • It can strengthen industrial competitiveness.
  • It may be financeable where savings are strong and measurable.

When ORC May Not Make Sense

  • The heat temperature is too low.
  • The flow is unstable.
  • Runtime is too limited.
  • Cooling conditions are poor.
  • Electricity price is too low.
  • Integration is too expensive.
  • The heat is already fully reused internally.
  • The plant cannot provide reliable data.
  • Shutdown windows are impossible.

We prefer to identify unsuitable cases early rather than force a technology where it does not belong.

Do You Have Usable Waste Heat?

Send basic temperature, flow, runtime and cooling data and we can help determine whether the case deserves deeper feasibility review.

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