Kriwan Opens New Factory in the Czech Republic
German components manufacturer Kriwan has opened a new factory in Pilsen, the Czech Republic, that will be capable of producing more than 500,000 PTC temperature sensors per year, according to the company.
Kriwan posted about the news on LinkedIn, and a company spokesperson confirmed the details in an email to NaturalRefrigerants.com. The new facility will produce components for sensors that cannot be easily made by automated machines. Kriwan’s temperature sensors are compatible with all refrigerants, including natural refrigerants, and its naturals that could drive growth at the new plant.
“We see a strong demand, especially in natural refrigerant-based systems as temperatures are more critical,” said Kriwan. “Due to this we are ready to expand the new plant.”
Kriwan has also added a second automated machine to produce PTC sensors at its factory in Forchtenberg, Germany, that will increase its production capacity by 30%. Its annual production capacity with the two automated machines will reach a seven-digit figure, according to the company.
Copeland Acquires SPH
American compressor manufacturer Copeland has acquired Sustainable Process Heating (SPH), a German company producing industrial high-temperature heat pumps. Copeland already offers an industrial ammonia (R717) heat pump through its Vilter line.
SPH was in the news recently for the butane–water (R600–R718) high-temperature heat pump it supplied to pharmaceutical company Takeda, which was installed at its manufacturing facility in Vienna. The high-temperature heat pump (HTHP) has a capacity of 1.2MW (341TR) and will replace an existing fossil fuel boiler at the site. It will work in conjunction with a mechanical vapor recompression unit to produce process steam at temperatures up to 200°C (392°F).
“The addition of SPH’s team and its differentiated technologies will enable us to serve a broader range of customers and applications,” said Ross B. Shuster, Copeland’s CEO, in a press release. “This broader portfolio positions Copeland well to expand our rapidly growing industrial business.”
Coca-Cola to Trial HotGreen Solutions Heat Pump
Coca-Cola will trial a hydrocarbon high-temperature heat pump from British company HotGreen Solutions. HotGreen shared the trial project in the announcement of its £1.2 million ($1.6 million/€1.3 million) pre-seed funding round and confirmed its heat pump uses a hydrocarbon refrigerant in an email to NaturalRefrigerants.com. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Ventures participated in the funding round.
HotGreen says its heat pump takes 3–5 days to install and could save a “typical industrial facility, such as a brewer, distiller or dairy processing plant” £440,000 ($580,000/€500,000) annually on energy bills compared to a fossil boiler.
“We see real impact potential in HotGreen Solutions’ approach to decarbonization – which aligns with our own sustainability ambitions,” said Sashidar Rajendra, Associate Director, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Ventures. “We’re excited to trial their technology in our operations and see how their innovation can help accelerate us towards our 2040 net-zero targets.”
Epta Previews New Ice Cream and Frozen Food Display Cabinets
Epta displayed its new Alba 43 and Alba 45 vertical display cabinets for ice cream and frozen food at HostMilano 2025, a conference for the HoReCa industry that took place from October 17–21. The two cabinets both use propane (R290) refrigerant and were displayed in static (Alba 43) and ventilated versions (Alba 45).
The ventilated version features space for 40% more product compared to the static version and is also designed with the condensing unit in the lower part of the cabinet. In addition, around 40% of the internal tub uses recycled plastic, some of which is reclaimed from the production process.
