TCCI Manufacturing, an American company that develops compressors for commercial and electric vehicles, has opened a new innovation center in Decatur, Illinois, where it will test natural refrigerant technologies.

TCCI’s new innovation center, which has been dubbed the Clean Energy Innovation Hub, will house the Climatic Center for Innovation & Research (CCIR), set to open in 2026. The CCIR will “be among the most advanced facilities in the country dedicated to next-generation thermal management systems and natural refrigerant technologies for EVs,” TCCI said. 

In addition, the Innovation Hub will also feature a production line for electric compressors and the Clean Energy Workforce Academy, developed in collaboration with Decatur’s Richland Community College.

Research and development: TCCI’s President, Richard Demirjian, told NaturalRefrigerants.com that the CCIR is “designed with the flexibility to support both R290 [propane] and CO₂ [R744] research and system-level testing.”

• TCCI currently manufactures R290-compatible compressors that are used in “a range of commercial and specialty vehicle use cases,” according to Demirjian, who added that the facility “will eventually be able to support component, system and vehicle-level testing with R290.”
• When it comes to R744, the company is focused on system and vehicle-level integration and validation, TCCI’s President noted.
• “While we see strong promise in both refrigerants, we are currently more advanced in R290 development due to its applicability across our existing electric compressor platforms and its strong alignment with safety and performance requirements in our target markets,” said Demirjian.

Production plans: The Clean Energy Innovation Hub will produce R290-compatible compressors, with the facility “equipped to scale production based on customer specifications and demand,” said Demirjian.

Training technicians, supporting students: The Clean Energy Workforce Academy will provide “hands-on training in natural refrigerants, sustainable HVAC solutions and clean energy systems, along with direct experience in refrigerant system validation,” according to the company.

• Students and trainees will gain experience “at the component level” on R290, Demirjian said, with training taking place in the CCIR’s lab.
• “To simulate real-world conditions for refrigerants not permitted inside passenger compartments, we’ve engineered dual-environment test chambers with a glycol loop to isolate system testing,” said Demirjian. “This allows for advanced diagnostics, thermal performance testing and safety protocol validation, all critical skills for technicians and engineers working with new-generation refrigerants.”

State support for naturals: The 260,000ft² (24,154m²) facility cost $45 million (€39 million) to construct.

• The state of Illinois, via grants to the city of Decatur and Richland Community College, provided $21.3 million (€18.7 million) in funding to the project.
• In addition, the Illinois EPA recently issued a $650,000 (€573,000) matching grant to expand the capabilities of the CCIR.

Quotable: “This investment reflects our shared commitment to building a more sustainable, resilient and competitive manufacturing economy in Illinois,” said Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director James Jennings. “By advancing natural refrigerant research and workforce development, we’re reducing emissions, accelerating decarbonization and paving the way for Illinois to lead the nation in clean energy innovation.”