Hailiang Business Hotel in Zhuji, China, has installed six 65kW (18.5TR) CO2 (R744) heat pump units to replace its R22 heat pumps, resulting in 50% energy savings.
The CHP-80Y air-sourced units were locally manufactured by Japanese manufacturer ITOMIC in partnership with Chinese manufacturer Zhejiang DunAn Electro-Mechanical Technology.
In 2019, ITOMIC entered a business partnership with Zhejiang DunAn Electro-Mechanical Technology to start production and sales of the ITOMIC CHP-80Y air-sourced CO2 heat pumps in China. The first heat pump was manufactured here in 2020, and sales in China have slowly been expanding thanks to the local presence.
One of the success stories is the Hailiang Business Hotel in Zhuji, whose 158 rooms are now served by six ITOMIC units. Previously, the hotel’s heating and hot water requirements were met by 14 R22 heat pumps plus two additional gas boilers.
“The installation of the CO2 heat pump brought about a high-COP environmental friendliness due to the use of natural refrigerants and an energy-saving effect,” said Koji Morimoto, ITOMIC Overseas Manager. “The cost in July this year showed a reduction effect of about 50% compared to July last year.”
The CHP-80YP heat pump can supply hot water up to 90°C (194°F) and offer a COP of more than 4 in the right conditions, according to Morimoto. It is the largest capacity currently available in the ITOMIC CO2 heat pump range, and its COP varies depending on the water inlet temperature, hot water supply temperature and ambient temperature, according to the manufacturer.
The Y-shape configuration of this unit enables installation even with limited availability of space and structural tolerance. This model has been overwhelmingly popular ever since the start of its sales, back in 2011, according to the ITOMIC website.
Only getting started in China
According to Morimoto, the market potential of CO2 heat pumps in China is still small at this stage. ITOMIC is only getting started in its production there. This market is particularly tough for large CO2 heat pumps, because of many competitors and the massive availability of low-cost products, he said.
