The purpose of this paper is to study and analyse the experimental performances of a solid/gas sorption heat pump using a new working pair such as MnCl2 hydrate reacting reversibly with water. The aim of this heat pump device is to produce heat at a temperature level suitable for industrial purposes (typically 160 degreesC), from waste heat at 90 degreesC or from environment at 35 degreesC. Moreover, this kind of process can be efficiently used as a high-temperature topping cycle to drive by means of efficient heat pipes a lower temperature double effect absorption cycle in order to increase the cooling performances by achieving a quadri-effect cascaded chiller. This paper presents the experimental results of the water/hydrate reaction topping cycle and demonstrates the feasibility of a cascading cooling device with high cooling performance: a COP of 1.35 should effectively be attainable. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.