RESTORE Project Improves District Heating & Cooling in Europe | Integrating Thermochemical Energy Storage & rORC to Meet EU Decarbonization Goals

RESTORE Project | Integrate Thermochemical Energy Storage and Reversible ORC for Decarbonised District Heating and Cooling

The Horizon 2020-supported RESTORE Project (Renewable Energy-based Seasonal Storage Technology in Order to Raise Economic and environmental sustainability of District Heating and Cooling), initiated under the Horizon 2020 program, is at the forefront of decarbonizing the district heating and cooling (DHC) sector.

Through the integration of Thermochemical Energy Storage (TCES) with Reversible Organic Rankine Cycle (rORC) systems, RESTORE is poised to revolutionize the energy infrastructure supporting urban and residential heating and cooling networks.

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Core Objective and Vision

The core objective of RESTORE is to develop and pilot a fully renewable energy-powered DHC system capable of independent functioning from fossil fuels. Heating and cooling operations account for nearly 40% of the end energy consumed in Europe by 2025, and hence the project is vital in meeting EU climate goals (Source: European Commission).

Key Technologies and Functional Integration

Thermochemical Energy Storage (TCES)
TCES stores energy in reversible chemical reactions with the capability to absorb and release heat as per thermodynamic changes.

It offers high energy density, minimal thermal loss, and long seasonal storage over time-exactly what's needed to fill the energy supply and demand gap between seasons.

The RESTORE Project employs advanced TCES prototypes with the capability to store efficiently renewable and waste energy heat.

Reversible Organic Rankine Cycle (rORC)
The rORC features two modes of operation:

Heat Pump Mode: Charges energy in TCES systems using electric or thermal input to heat.

ORC Mode: Converts stored thermal energy by producing electricity or direct heating upon demand.

The rORC system uses low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants, such as olefins, to meet the targets of the EU's F-Gas regulation.

Technical Performance and Metrics

A prototype rORC device constructed by Enerbasque and Politecnico di Milano was validated ready for full testing and verification in March 2025 (Source: CENER, March 24, 2025).

The rORC-TCES system is designed to operate effectively with low-grade waste heat of around 100°C and deliver heating of 50°C-sufficient for present-day low-temperature district heating systems.

Round-trip efficiency is around 70%, demonstrating excellent system performance for converting and storing waste and renewable thermal energy (Source: restore-dhc.eu).

Implementation and Demonstration Sites

The RESTORE consortium includes demonstration pilots in Europe with emphasis on real application integration with DHC networks.

A pilot TCES plant has been constructed to confirm seasonal storage performance under varying climatic and operating conditions.

Economic and Environmental Impact

With district heating and cooling responsible for a large share of energy consumption, RESTORE's scalable solution provides a sustainable path to urban decarbonization.

The project aims to reduce capital costs by 20% and raise system flexibility by using low-cost, non-toxic storage materials and off-the-shelf rORC system components.

Stakeholders and Collaboration

Coordinated by a European consortium of energy agencies, universities, and technology providers, the project includes:

Centro Nacional de Energías Renovables (CENER)

Politecnico di Milano

Enerbasque

Aalborg University

Webinars and Knowledge Sharing

A monthly series of webinars on RESTORE technologies commenced in March 2024, the next substantial session to occur on April 28, 2025, focusing on the RESTORE Virtual Tool and energy transition planning from TCES and rORC models.

The RESTORE Project is a significant step towards sustainable energy solutions in Europe. By combining Thermochemical Energy Storage with Reversible ORC systems, the project supports EU-wide efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance the share of renewable energy, and build a low-carbon economy by 2050.

Market Impact and Investment Opportunities in the Growing Regenerative Heat Exchangers Market in Europe

The European Regenerative Heat Exchangers (RHE) Market is growing fast with the pace of development in energy systems such as Thermochemical Energy Storage (TCES) and Reversible Organic Rankine Cycle (rORC), as seen in the RESTORE Project.

Rising demand for effective heat recovery systems combined with favorable policy environments has driven increasing adoption of regenerative heat exchangers, particularly in decarbonizing district heating and cooling (DHC) networks.

As of 2025, space heating and cooling account for approximately 40% of the energy used in Europe (European Commission), highlighting the imperative need for improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions in such industries.

Market Impact | How the RESTORE Project Impacts the Regenerative Heat Exchangers Market

RESTORE Project is a critical venture in the EU Horizon 2020 program with the vision of decarbonizing heating and cooling sector by integrating Thermochemical Energy Storage with Reversible ORC technology. The joint application is intended to tap the potential for waste heat utilization and renewable sources, therefore requiring improved heat exchange technology.

The most important technologies of the RESTORE Project-TCES and rORC-are heavily reliant on regenerative heat exchangers to optimize both thermal energy storage and energy recovery. By enabling efficient heat transfer at various temperatures, regenerative heat exchangers play a critical role in optimizing the energy efficiency of these new systems.

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Technological Advancements and Market Trends

Regenerative heat exchangers are increasingly a target of next-generation systems like the rORC, which are used in waste heat recovery and thermal energy conversion. The high thermal performance of regenerative heat exchangers combined with low-temperature heat recovery of rORC-based systems makes them vital elements of systems operating on low-grade waste heat and renewable energy sources.

Some of the most important trends driving the growth of the regenerative heat exchangers market are:

Integration with TCES and ORC systems: High-performance heat exchangers are required by these technologies to improve energy storage and recovery performance.

European decarbonization efforts: Inspired by EU policies and ambitious climate targets, European decarbonization of the heat and cooling sector is a priority, and it has a direct impact on the demand for sustainable energy systems.

Improved thermal efficiency: Regenerative heat exchangers possess high thermal energy density, low heat loss, and prolonged duration storage and are therefore best suited for applications in seasonal storage and waste heat recovery.

Investment Opportunities of the Regenerative Heat Exchanger Market

With Europe's transition to energy increasing pace, various investment opportunities are available in the Regenerative Heat Exchanger market:

OEM and Component Production: Manufacturing high-efficiency regenerative heat exchangers requires investment to counter growing demand for heat recovery and energy storage equipment. Companies producing innovative materials such as ceramic matrix exchangers or next-generation alloys that deliver longevity and minimal thermal loss are set for significant growth.

System Integration and Deployment: Firms incorporating regenerative heat exchangers into ORC and TCES systems for district heating and cooling networks can gain from increasing adoption of such technologies. Such systems are critical in urban cities looking to switch to fully renewable heating and cooling networks.

Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS): The evolution of business models involving EaaS, where DHC systems are provided as performance contracts or leases, is a novel investment opportunity. By offering regenerative heat exchange systems in a packaged form, investors can take advantage of the cost benefits and environmental friendliness of the technology.

Economic and Industrial Impact

The European DHC sector is poised for a revolution of the revolutionary type, driven by regenerative heat exchangers that turn the EU climate goals into reality. The RESTORE project targets the objectives of reducing 20% on capital costs along with enhancing flexibility in systems. Such enhancements to system performance will decrease the net expenses of decarbonized energy solutions for domestic and industrial consumers alike.

The demand for regenerative heat exchangers will benefit from increasing volume demand as a result of retrofitting existing DHC networks with green technologies and new low-carbon energy systems being constructed.

Regional Focus | Where Is the Growth?

Though the Regenerative Heat Exchangers Market is expanding across Europe, certain regions provide more growth opportunities since they are actively involved in energy transition and decarbonization policies:

Germany: Its dominance of district heating and cooling infrastructure, combined with Germany's ambitious decarbonization plans and hydrogen adoption strategies, translates into a high-potential market in regenerative heat exchangers.

Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, and Finland): These countries are world leaders in the adoption of low-temperature district heating and waste heat recovery technologies. With well-established knowledge institutions such as Denmark's Aalborg University, it is a field of regenerative heat exchangers innovation.

Northern Italy: Its active participation in pilot projects and R&D activities in thermal energy systems, along with existing industrial infrastructure, makes Italy an ideal market for regenerative heat exchangers in decarbonized heat networks.

Netherlands: Urban heat transition and energy efficiency by the Netherlands, particularly in the big cities where there are existing DHC facilities, makes the Netherlands an interesting region to invest in regenerative heat exchangers market.

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