Study on the Introduction of Heat Pumps and Once-Through Boilers to Support GX in Asia Phase 2

Rapid industrial growth across Asia has driven sharp increases in energy demand and carbon emissions, heightening the urgency for effective decarbonisation measures. This study evaluates the deployment potential, key barriers, and policy implications of adopting heat pumps and once-through boilers as pathways for industrial decarbonisation. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative analyses covering ten Southeast Asian countries and India, the findings indicate substantial opportunities for these technologies to reduce energy consumption and emissions, with particularly strong potential in Viet Nam, Thailand, and India.

However, uptake remains limited due to low awareness of cost and efficiency benefits, technical and safety constraints, and inadequate policy and regulatory support. To address these challenges, the study proposes three core actions: establishing standardised quantitative metrics and testing schemes; strengthening refrigerant safety through licensing and training; and introducing regulatory flexibility to accelerate the adoption of once-through boilers. Together, these measures – including expanded awareness efforts, enhanced technical capacity, improved regulations, and stronger stakeholder collaboration – can significantly accelerate technology deployment and underpin carbon-neutral industrial growth across the region.