U.S. compressor manufacturer Copeland has made ThermBooster, a high-temperature heat pump (HTHP) by Sustainable Process Heat (SPH), available in North America. The unit delivers steam at up to 180°C (356°F) using hydrocarbons or other low-GWP refrigerants.
Copeland finalized the acquisition of German SPH in November 2025. The deal expands Copeland’s refrigerant flexibility and enables higher temperature outputs for its industrial portfolio, which has traditionally focused on ammonia (R717) and CO2 (R744) heat pumps under its Vilter brand, according to Grant Kovac, Copeland’s newly appointed Director of EU Industrial Sales.
“With ammonia, our recently launched VQ145 can deliver low-pressure steam at up to 145°C [293°F], but it lacks the higher temperatures and pressures required to replace boilers,” Kovac said. “SPH allows us to augment what we already have with an offering more suitable for other market segments, including general manufacturing and pharmaceuticals.”
Kovac told NaturalRefrigerants.com about the benefits of the acquisition for both companies, as well as Copeland’s latest ammonia heat pump at the International Institute for All-Natural Refrigeration (IIAR) 2026 conference. The event was held March 15‒18 in San Antonio, Texas.
The details: “The [ThermBooster] compressor is specifically designed to handle both HFOs and hydrocarbons,” Kovac said. “With the right design, you can install it with an HFO and later adapt it to hydrocarbons.”
- ThermBooster delivers steam and pressurized hot water with nominal heating capacities from 0.4 to 1.5MW (114 to 427TR), depending on the operating conditions.
- It allows customizable flexibility on a single skid, supporting up to three compressors in parallel or two-stage configurations.
- In September 2025 pharmaceutical company Takeda replaced a fossil fuel boiler at its Vienna manufacturing facility with a 1.2MW (341TR) butane–water (R600–R718) HTHP produced by SPH. The unit reaches process temperatures of 200°C (392°F) and supports the 11bar (160psi) pressure required for pharmaceutical production.
Going global: SPH has seven ThermBooster HTHPs operating in Europe, evenly split between hydrocarbons and HFOs, with an additional three or four systems currently in commissioning, according to Kovac.
- With its global footprint, Copeland opens up new markets for SPH’s technology, Kovac said, particularly in North America, where local support helps build confidence.
- Kovac sees a favorable response to the unit, with momentum growing as reference cases increase.
- Copeland intends to transition SPH to its Vilter brand over the next six to nine months to present a unified suite of industrial heat pump solutions to the global market, with capacity offerings ranging from 0.4 to 5MW (114 to 1,422TR).
New product: In its latest heat pump offering, Copeland put its Vilter high-pressure low-displacement (HPLD) single-screw compressor ‒ used in transcritical CO2 systems ‒ onto the VQ platform to produce steam with ammonia as a working fluid, Kovac explained.
- The VQ145 heat pump produces up to 1.8bar (26psi) low-pressurized 117°C (243°F) steam and hot water at up to 145°C, with capacities ranging from 0.8 to 3MW (227.5 to 853TR).
- The single-skid design accommodates up to seven compressor models, providing scalable options for numerous industries, including food and beverage, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, textiles and district heating.
Quotable: “ThermBooster’s custom-to-order system allows us to size the best product for the application,” Kovac said. “We drive the payback by targeting the highest coefficient of performance.”
“SPH allows us to augment what we already have with an offering more suitable for other market segments, including general manufacturing and pharmaceuticals.”
Grant Kovac, Director of EU Industrial Sales at Copeland
