World News

Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World

UK News

Latest news and developments in the United Kingdom

Products

Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology

Features

General articles, applications and industry analysis

Freecool chiller offers R1234ze

GERMANY: Kaltra Innovativtechnik has launched a series of freecooling chillers based on frequency-controlled screw compressors, microchannel technology and the option of R1234ze.

Designed for R134a as standard, the new Lightstream Freecool chillers are equipped with inverter-driven compact screw compressors, specifically designed to maximise energy efficiency at partial loads.

The low GWP HFO refrigerant R1234ze is an option with this chiller. Its introduction follows the launch last year of Kaltra’s Lightstream Turbo oil-free centrifugal chiller running on R1234ze.

The Lightstream Freecool chiller features microchannel condensers with large heat transfer surface and high capacity microchannel freecooling coils designed in W-shaped banks for high energy efficiency in both DX and freecooling operating modes.

The use of microchannel technology is said to significantly increase freecooling time. With 12/18°C chilled water temperatures, the Lightstream Freecool chillers operate in full freecooling mode at ambient temperature as high as +8°C (for Germany climate zones) – 5°C to 6°C higher than chillers equipped with traditional water coils.

Enhanced two-pass flooded evaporators ensure closer temperature approach and lower waterside pressure drops, it is said.

RoboClean, an automatic coil cleaning system, uses differential pressure transmitters to start coil cleaning when the pressure difference rises above a set point. This enables maintenance to be performed without shutting down the chiller and disassembly.

Lightstream Freecool chillers are said to be suitable for a wide range of applications, producing chilled water from -12°C to 20°C. With EERs of 3.96, the chillers are said to be able to operate in almost every climate zone, from -40ºC to +55ºC.

www.kaltra.de

Latest News

12th October 2026

French supermarkets hit by massive cyberattack

FRANCE: Cyberattackers are reported to have taken control of the refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets in France, changing temperature settings and defrosting produce.
11th October 2026

Carrier cooler protects building workers

JAPAN: Construction workers building Tokyo’s Torch Tower, Japan’s tallest building, are being kept cool thanks to a temporary cooling system jointly developed by Carrier Japan.
11th October 2026

MHI expands sales of high temp heat pump

JAPAN: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is expanding sales of its high-temperature ETI-W series centrifugal heat pump to overseas markets.
10th October 2026

Solstice plans $49m investment in refrigerant R&D

USA: Refrigerant manufacturer Solstice has announced plans to invest $49m in an expansion of R&D capabilities at its Buffalo, New York, facility.
10th October 2026

US AC and HP shipments up 11.4%

USA: US shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps totalled 756,739 units in August, an increase of 11.4% on August 2025.
9th October 2026

Hybrid heat pumps – the new Dutch standard

NETHERLANDS: The Dutch government wants homeowners to switch to a smart and hybrid heat pump from 2029 when replacing their central heating boiler.