World News

JAPAN: Daikin Industries and Japanese IT and electronics company NEC have begun air conditioning service engineer training using virtual and augmented reality technologies.

UK: Panasonic has opened a new production line at its Pilsen factory in the Czech Republic, dedicated to its large-capacity Big Aquarea M Series R290 air-to-water heat pumps. 

USA/JAPAN: Two of the HVAC industry’s leading manufacturers, Copeland and Daikin, have announced a joint venture for Copeland to bring Daikin’s inverter swing rotary compressor technology to the US.

JAPAN: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems has received an order for a large-scale Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system for an automotive parts manufacturer.

EUROPE: The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is to consider the impact of PFAS bans on the use of fluoropolymers in the manufacture of vital RACHP components like seals and gaskets.

BELGIUM: The European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) has published a guide to the new European F-gas regulation (2024/573) and its specific implications for the heat pump sector.

GERMANY: Heating company Vaillant has commenced production at a new electronic components factory in Remscheid to support the demand for heat pumps.

SWEDEN/GERMANY: Swedish HVAC manufacturer Swegon has extended its modular air handling unit interests with the acquisition of family-owned German company Howatherm Klimatechnik.

POLAND: At least 115 tonnes of F-gas are said to have been seized in Poland as part of a European crackdown on the illegal F-gas trade.

BELGIUM: A six-month operation to disrupt the illegal trade in refrigerant gases has intercepted more than 400,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent material. 

USA: An undercover investigation claims to have detected HFC refrigerant leaks at 50% of supermarkets visited in Northern California.

SPAIN: The Civil Guard says it has uncovered a network dedicated to illegal handling of refrigerant and waste electrical and electronic equipment.

SPAIN: Coil manufacturer Lordan ACS has established a new Spanish company in partnership with Serpentines y Evaporadores SA (SEREVA), a well-known heat exchanger manufacturer near Barcelona.

USA: Daikin Comfort Technologies North America has acquired the naming rights to the stadium of US Major League Baseball (MLB) team the Houston Astros.

GERMANY: Companies with interests in the refrigerant industry in Germany have formed a new association as a focus for communication and political support for the use of refrigerants.

SWEDEN/NETHERLANDS: The Nordic Climate Group has further expanded its operations in the Netherlands with the purchase of a Dutch group consisting of six cooling specialists.

USA: Critical infrastructure service provider has collaborated with Compass Datacenters to develop a solution that integrates air and liquid cooling technologies for data centres supporting AI.

UK: Support for the drive to raise the standard for frozen food temperatures to -15°C to cut carbon emissions has more than tripled in the last 12 months.

SWEDEN: The CEO of Swedish heat pump manufacturer Nibe has criticised fuel prices which favour fossil fuels while electricity is subjected to new taxes and charges.

ITALY: The Italian police, government authorities and the Italian customs agency are to cooperate on the control of F-gases.

Papua New Guinea: The Independent State of Papua New Guinea, a country considered to be highly vulnerable to climate change, is the latest to ratify the Kigali Amendment.

FRANCE: Lennox has established a new stand-alone business to support the rapidly expanding data centre industry. 

ITALY: Refrigeration controls manufacturer Carel has appointed Marino Tanas to the new position of regional CEO for Western Europe. 

EUROPE: The amount of HFCs placed on the EU market in 2023 was 5% below the maximum quantity allowable under the European F-gas regulation, according to latest figures.

OMAN: The Sultanate of Oman has followed fellow Gulf Cooperation Council neighbours Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in ratifying the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

IRELAND: HiiLife, a leading technology provider for the construction sector, has been appointed as the official Samsung Climate Solutions distributor in Ireland.

INDIA: Chiller manufacturer Climaveneta Climate Technologies is to Invest around $47m on a 23,000m2 manufacturing facility, located at Narasapura, near Bengaluru.