Heat pump limits expose textile decarbonisation gap

SAN FRANCISCO — The Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) has warned that commercially viable steam heat pumps for textile mills remain a long way from scale, despite being identified as one of the most promising routes to cutting emissions across Asia’s garment hubs.

In a new white paper, the Aii says that today’s systems can typically only deliver steam at around 120°C, falling short of many high‑temperature dyeing and finishing processes.