World News

Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World

UK News

Latest news and developments in the United Kingdom

Products

Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology

Features

General articles, applications and industry analysis

California invests $2m in anti-icing material

USA: Nelumbo, a US company developing advanced surface modifications to improve heat exchanger performance, has been awarded $2m in funding from the California Energy Commission (CEC).

The CEC invests in scientific and technological research to accelerate the transformation of the electricity sector through its Electric Programme Investment Charge (EPIC). 

“Nelumbo has created an advanced anti-icing material to improve the energy efficiency of industrial refrigeration systems. Cutting edge technologies like Nelumbo’s have the potential to create energy savings while advancing California’s clean energy goals,” said CEC vice chair Janea Scott. 

The deployment of Nelumbo’s anti-ice materials on industrial refrigeration systems is seen as a potentially cost-effective way to decarbonise California’s food and beverage processing industry. 

Nelumbo has already demonstrated its anti-ice materials on residential refrigerators as well as residential and commercial-scale heat pumps. With this funding, Nelumbo says it will optimise its materials for industrial substrates and scale manufacturing processes required for commercial adoption.

“Recent events have highlighted exactly how critical the robustness of our food supply chain is,” said Nelumbo CEO Liam Berryman. “We are pleased to work with the CEC to demonstrate a solution that can be impactful at any scale and to any system. We see this project as an expansion step into a range of new sustainable opportunities in cooling.”

Related stories:

Surface innovator, Nelumbo, raises $14m15 April 2020
USA: Nelumbo, a pioneer in advanced surface modifications, which could improve heat exchanger performance and corrosion resistance, has raised $14m in new funding. Read more…

Danfoss set to deploy new surface technology – 15 January 2019
DENMARK/USA: Danfoss is set to deploy new surface modification technology on its microchannel heat exchangers. Read more…

Danfoss invests in US coil coating firm – 27 June 2018
USA/DENMARK: Continuing to invest in new technology, Danfoss has acquired a minority stake in Nelumbo, a California-based developer of heat exchanger surface treatment technology. Read more…

Latest News

21st December 2024

Hoshizaki takes 51% stake in Vietnamese company

JAPAN,VIETNAM: Hoshizaki, the Japanese manufacturer of commercial food and beverage refrigeration equipment, has acquired a majority shareholding in Vietnamese company Asia Refrigeration Industry (ARICO).
20th December 2024

Giles Pratt set to retire

UK: Giles Pratt, sales specialist at Fujitsu General Air Conditioning UK, is set to retire after a career spanning 40 years in the UK air conditioning industry.
20th December 2024

Vertiv acquires centrifugal chiller technology

UK: Vertiv has invested in centrifugal chiller technology with the acquisition of certain assets of BiXin Energy Technology (Suzhou) Co (BSE).
20th December 2024

Mitsubishi Electric buys Irish agent

NETHERLANDS/IRELAND: Mitsubishi Electric Europe is to acquire all the shares of its Irish agent – air conditioning installation and maintenance company Crystal Air Holdings Ltd.
20th December 2024

Daikin joins green initiatives agreement

UK: Heat pump manufacturer Daikin has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to support jobs, skills training, warmer homes and more sustainable power.
19th December 2024

Foodservice equipment wins F-gas exemption

EUROPE: The foodservice industry has obtained a temporary exemption to a January 1 ban on certain self-contained refrigeration equipment under the new European F-gas regulations.