French/Chinese joint venture to produce R290 heat pumps
29th September 2026
FRANCE: Chinese heat pump manufacturer Axen has commenced production in France in a joint venture with French heating company Perge.
The joint venture – Perge Axen Co (PAC) – was created at the end of April as a simplified joint-stock company.
GZ Axen Heat Pump Technology was founded in 2006 in Guangzhou, China. Perge is a family-owned French heating equipment manufacturer founded in 1971 and headquartered in Portes-lès-Valence, south of Lyon. The company specialises in individual residential heating systems, particularly biomass (log and pellet), oil, and hybrid boilers.
Production under the joint venture has been accommodated at Perge’s factory in Portes-lès-Valence, with the first R290 heat pump assembly line now fully commissioned. It will produce a range of R290 monobloc air-to-water heat pumps from 4kW to 16kW in both single-phase and three-phase versions.
The designed capacity for the first year is 15,000 units, with capacity expected to increase to 25,000-30,000 when the production lines are expanded in the second half of 2027.
The factory will serve both French and European markets, but will initially focus on developing PAC in France.
