Bluu unit, a European alliance of HVAC&R contractors dedicated to promoting the use of natural refrigerants, has appointed Patrick Peters as its Co-CEO.
Peters will be responsible for operational strategy development for organic growth, with a focus on sales, business development, procurement, marketing and technical advancement. He brings over 20 years of experience to the role, having most recently served as the Managing Director of the KKL Group, a Düsseldorf-based HVAC&R contractor. The KKL Group joined bluu unit in November 2025.
“In leading the KKL Group, he has demonstrated how development works: inspiring people, listening carefully, communicating effectively, leading boldly and, at the same time, sharpening our shared vision,” bluu unit wrote in a LinkedIn post.
“In Patrick, we are gaining a key driver, networker and enabler who has precisely the experience in developing shared structures that we need for the next phase,” said Nicolo Freyberg, Co-CEO of bluu unit, in a press release.
This appointment comes as the European HVAC&R sector is facing a shortage of technicians, driven by an aging workforce, with one-third of experienced technicians expected to retire by 2032. Mirko Bernabei, Technical Director for SCM Frigo, touched on the need for more trained technicians and qualified instructors during a presentation at ATMO Europe 2025. ATMO Europe was held by ATMOsphere, the publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com. Key parts of bluu unit’s work include training, knowledge transfer and collaboration.
“We train with our suppliers as a group,” said Freyberg during ATMO Europe 2025. “We invite other companies that are not that advanced [in natural refrigerants] to send their people to work together on projects to help get them equipped with the right skillset.”
New vision for the company: Peters’ appointment coincides with the next phase of development of the company.
- The organization said it aims to establish itself as the leading platform in Europe for sustainable refrigeration, air-conditioning and ventilation technology, as well as data center expertise.
- Data center capacity is expected to nearly double from 103GW to approximately 200GW by 2030, fueled by AI infrastructure growth, according to “Clean Cooling for Data Centers,” a new report from ATMOsphere.
- Bluu unit has a strong presence in Germany, where most of its members are based.
- German hydrocarbon chiller manufacturer Secon has supplied chillers to more than 30 data centers.
Accelerating growth: Bluu unit also acquired the Irish company Tech Refrigeration and Air Conditioning in November 2025, its first acquisition outside of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
- This move was also made with data centers in mind, with Dublin emerging as a pivotal global hub due to its location and highly skilled workforce.
- Bluu unit was founded in 2023 by the private equity firm Triton Partners and has 1,200 employees across 31 locations in three countries. As of November 2025, the members of its alliance had completed more than 10,000 projects and generated over €240 million ($278 million) in sales, Freyberg said during a presentation at ATMO Europe 2025.
Quotable: “For me, success always stems from a sense of community,” said Peters in a press release. “And the stronger that community, the greater the chance of really making a difference in the industry.”
