Copeland to acquire high temp heat pump firm
24th October 2025
USA: Copeland is to acquire Sustainable Process Heat (SPH), a German industrial heat pump technology company.
The acquisition will expand Copeland’s industrial heating portfolio, which operates under Copeland’s Vilter brand, and expand the range of supported refrigerants.
SPH specialises in designing, manufacturing and servicing heat pumps for industrial steam applications for temperatures up to 180ºC, with solutions that can utilise a wide range of natural and low global warming potential refrigerants.
Its key product, the ThermBooster high-temperature heat pump, can achieve temperatures up to 200°C.
The company grew out of The Rheinisch-Bergisches TechnologieZentrum a start-up development agency in 2020. Since 2022, SPH has been headquartered in Overath-Vilkerath, complete with its own production facility.
SPH is also a partner in national and European research projects, including AHEAD, Push2Heat, and HeatTransPlan.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2025. The UK-based Spirax Group currently holds, and will continue to maintain, a minority share in SPH under Copeland’s ownership. Through its Steam Thermal Solutions Business, Spirax Group intends to broaden SPH’s existing sales channels by marketing SPH’s heat pump solutions through its direct sales channel.
