INDUSTRY NEWS


BAXI UNVEILS SPECIALIST COMMERCIAL HEAT PUMP FACILITY AND NEW TECHNOLOGY


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eating and hot water solutions provider Baxi has hosted the fi rst offi cial visit to its €13 million commercial heat pump R&D and


laboratory site in Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain. Baxi is part of the €2.2 billion-turnover BDR Thermea Group, one of the largest producers of heating appliances worldwide. The 7,000m² Baxi factory, located near Barcelona and opened just last year, is focused on developing and producing commercial heat pump technology. The site boasts complete in-house capabilities spanning R&D, logistics, manufacturing and assembly, and including climatic testing chambers and a controls desk. During the visit, guests were provided with an


exclusive preview of the new Remeha Eff enca commercial heat pump series that was designed and produced at Vilafranca and is currently undergoing fi nal testing. The new range, which includes high temperature R290 refrigerant air source heat pumps (ASHPs), will launch imminently in the UK with full Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). Harriet Evans, Renewables Director at Baxi said:


“The focus on low carbon design is now critical in line with ambitious government decarbonisation targets. Heat pumps, which decarbonise heating


at the point of use, are a big part of how we as a company are supporting our commercial and residential customers through the energy transition. We are proud to demonstrate our full in-house capabilities and competencies at Vilafranca, and of the wide expertise and support we have within Group in this technology. We are excited to be expanding our Remeha ASHP range in the very near future with both medium and high temperature ASHPs – watch this space!” BDR Thermea’s acquisition in 2021 of Barcelona- based Hitecsa, an important manufacturer in the Spanish market for commercial and industrial climate control systems, has enabled the Group


to off er the entire range of heat pump solutions to suit all customer needs, from residential to large commercial applications. In the UK, Baxi launched its fi rst Remeha


commercial heat pump in 2022. The company recently announced its latest commercial ASHP project, a collaboration with Oakes Energy Services to decarbonise a series of school swimming pool buildings for the Priory Federation of Academies Trust.


Heat pump production capacity at Vilafranca


has scaled up by 50% in the last twelve months, with plans to triple in the next fi ve years via new commercial heat pump solutions in development.


DRAMATIC GROWTH IN DEMAND FOR REMANUFACTURED TRANSCRITICAL CO2 COMPRESSORS


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emand for remanufactured transcritical carbon


dioxide-based compressors is rising sharply in the UK, according to Green Point UK, BITZER UK’s specialist services arm.


“Sales of remanufactured BITZER transcritical CO2


units are up 40% year-on-year, with a quarter still to go,” says Will Pribyl, Green Point UK general manager. A combination of factors is responsible, he says.


“Following the initial take-off of transcritical CO2 systems in mainstream refrigeration a couple of decades ago, the number of CO2 compressors coming to the end of their natural working life is increasing rapidly.” Until recently, the obstacle to processing these units and returning them as-new into service has


been the high pressures required for full quality assurance testing. Following recent technical advances, however, this


is now possible using a high pressure hydraulic test rig –– developed by Green Point UK –– that is able to safely test compressor bodies up to 180 Bar, overcoming safety concerns related to use of conventional pneumatic-based test systems. It has enabled the company to receive end-of-life


transcritical units and return them to full original specifi cation, with quality underpinned by the manufacturer. Mr Pribyl says: “This is a live issue for many national contractors, who have comprehensive contracts with customers. First-time fi x is vital, as call- backs for faults or repairs can eliminate profi ts. Our comprehensive remanufacturing and testing process, overseen and backed by BITZER, gives total confi dence that our transcritical units will perform to specifi cation,


with safety assured by rigorous testing.” Transcritical units are remanufactured using the same proven approach used for standard reciprocating compressors, which includes replacement of all key wear parts and motors with genuine replacements, with the added step of replacing all external bolts with new. Use of transcritical CO2 compressors took off in


the early 2000s as a number of UK supermarkets championed the solution as a low-GWP alternative to high-GWP refrigerants, putting the UK in the vanguard of the switch to carbon dioxide cooling.


6 December 2023


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