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Yes—an industrial heat pump can make steam. At New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado, a 650 kW air-sourced system was installed in May 2025 and reported delivering steam at 165°C to the brewery’s existing steam header. The installation report says the brewery stayed operational throughout the work.
What happened at the Fort Collins brewery?
The installation connects a large industrial heat pump to New Belgium Brewing’s steam system. It is not a home heat pump: its 650 kW thermal capacity and connection to a brewery steam header are intended for process heat. AtmosZero and Colorado State University describe the unit as a 650 kW system; the IEA Heat Pumping Technologies demonstration case reports that it was operational and supplying 165°C steam to the facility header. AtmosZero and IEA Heat Pumping Technologies provide the project descriptions.
Colorado State University System reported in 2026 that the system supplies 30 percent of the brewery’s steam needs, attributing that figure to a spokesperson. It is a reported share, not an independently audited annual average. Colorado State University System
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The system takes heat from ambient air and uses a cascaded heat-pump cycle, according to AtmosZero’s company-authored case study. The demonstration report describes a separate mechanical vapor recompression stage: a steam compressor raises steam from 150°C at 3.8 barg to 165°C at 6.0 barg. The two stages explain how the installation can use air as its heat source while supplying steam at conditions appropriate to the brewery’s header.
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Temperature figures depend on which source and configuration is being described. The IEA demonstration case reports 165°C delivery to the header; AtmosZero’s later case study discusses output up to 150°C in its described configuration. Those are not interchangeable claims about a single operating point.
Did installation require the brewery to shut down?
The demonstration report says no facility downtime was needed for this installation. Because the system is air-sourced, the reported connections were electrical power, feedwater, and steam. The report says the work required no integration into brewery processes. That is a description of the Fort Collins project, not a guarantee that every industrial heat-pump retrofit can be installed without an outage.
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- ENERGY EFFICIENT: 13.4 SEER2 rating and R32 refrigerant provide efficient heating and cooling while helping reduce energy consumption, delivering reliable year-round comfort with low sound operation.
- CONVENIENT CONTROLS: Non-programmable 2 Heat / 1 Cool thermostat with memory retention, compressor protection, and adjustable limits for simple and effective temperature management.
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Andy Collins, New Belgium Brewing’s Carbon Neutral Engineer, told the IEA report that making steam lets the brewery use utilities supported by existing infrastructure and avoids changing brewing recipes. The steam-header connection is therefore important beyond convenience: it gives the new equipment a route to supply process heat without requiring a different brewing process.
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An October 11, 2026 news article describes the installation as the first delivery to a paying customer. AtmosZero has also described it as a first, while the IEA demonstration report documents the installation and reported operation. The project sources establish that New Belgium received and operated the system; they do not independently verify a worldwide historical comparison. The defensible wording is that AtmosZero described the installation as the first of its kind delivered to a paying customer, rather than treating “first anywhere” as independently settled.
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What do the reported economics show?
AtmosZero’s 2026 case study compares modeled scenarios using different waste-heat source temperatures. It reports a 3.1-year payback for a 90°C waste-heat scenario and 9.6 years for a 35°C waste-heat scenario. These are scenario results, not observed payback periods for the Fort Collins air-source installation and not typical or guaranteed outcomes. A plant’s economics depend on its heat source, energy prices, steam load, and installation requirements.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should another plant assess?
The Fort Collins project shows one route for supplying industrial steam, but it does not provide a universal design or a payback estimate for other facilities. A site assessment should establish:
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- CONVENIENT CONTROLS: Non-programmable 2 Heat / 1 Cool thermostat with memory retention, compressor protection, and adjustable limits for simple and effective temperature management.
- DURABLE BUILD: Heavy-gauge galvanized steel cabinet, enhanced coil protection, and fully insulated blower compartment for reliable operation and easier maintenance.
- Steam conditions: the temperature and pressure the process actually requires, and whether equipment can meet them.
- Heat source: whether ambient air or available waste heat is suitable throughout seasonal operating conditions.
- Electrical capacity and cost: the power connection needed and the facility’s electricity economics.
- Integration: how the heat pump would connect to the existing steam header and boiler controls.
- Installation window: whether electrical, feedwater, or steam work can be completed without an outage at that site.
- Capacity fit: how the proposed system’s output compares with the facility’s actual steam demand.
The Fort Collins report supports the feasibility of one operating brewery installation; it does not supply an independent quote or a site-specific model for a different plant.
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