World News

USA: Emerson is to sell its remaining 40% interest in the Copeland joint venture (formerly Emerson Climate Technologies) to Blackstone for a transaction value of approximately $3.5bn.

USA: The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has launched an investigation into the Honeywell production facility in Geismar, Louisiana, after a dangerous HF release.

UK: This year’s World Refrigeration Day on June 26 takes the theme Temperature Matters, underscoring the impact of the industry beyond mere cooling and heating.

GERMANY: Despite a recent 52% slump in sales, the heat pump is now the dominant heating system in new buildings in Germany.

NETHERLANDS: An unprecedented large-scale day of action by Dutch authorities seized around 85 cylinders of HFC refrigerant during unannounced visits to 70 car companies in Lelystad, central Netherlands.

GERMANY: Trane Technologies has officially opened a new 14,000m2 innovation centre in Oberhausen.

INDIA: One man is reported to have died and another seriously injured after a refrigerant cylinder being carried on a motor scooter exploded.

JAPAN: Real estate company GLP Japan is to develop what will be one of Japan's largest multi-tenant refrigerated and frozen logistics facilities.

USA: Refrigerant supplier Hudson Technologies has announced the acquisition of “substantially all” of the assets of USA United Suppliers of America, trading as USA Refrigerants for $20.7m. 

NETHERLANDS: Dutch authorities recently seized more than 3,500 cylinders of HFC refrigerants at the Venlo border with Germany.

JAPAN: Mitsubishi Electric has received a top Japanese award for the technology related to its compressor motor that reduces the use of rare earths by effectively using magnetic flux. 

AUSTRALIA: HVACR consultant Mikaila Ganado has been named president of AIRAH, the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating.

AUSTRALIA: Daikin has commenced construction of a new 7,500m2 R&D building in an expansion of its manufacturing site in the Sydney suburb of Chipping Norton.

IRELAND: Johnson Controls has created a dedicated Global Data Centre Solutions organisation to provide integrated solutions to data centre customers around the world. 

GERMANY: This year’s Chillventa exhibition in Nuremberg is “almost booked out” according to the organiser NürnbergMesse.

GERMANY: Research on a heat pump with a propane refrigeration circuit in an industrial cleaning machine has proven the suitability of propane to industrial processes with heating and cooling requirements.

SWEDEN:  Aira, the Swedish direct-to-consumer heat pump company, has secured a €200m warehouse financing facility with BNP Paribas to help finance heat pump installation in Germany.

SWEDEN/DENMARK: The Nordic Climate Group has expanded activities in Denmark with the acquisitions of Nordfrost Køleservice and Buus Køle-Service ApS.

SWEDEN/NORWAY: Nordic Climate Group is expanding in Norway by acquiring Trondheim-based Reftec AS and its subsidiary Rana Kulde. 

BELGIUM: Two of Daikin’s top executives have received Commander in the Order of Leopold awards by the Kingdom of Belgium.

USA: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the pre-publication final SNAP Rule 26 which lists ten new A2L and A3 refrigerants.

USA: Leading state agencies, manufacturers, utilities and other market actors have joined together to form the California Heat Pump  Partnership (CAHPP) to support  the state’s heat pump and climate targets.

JAPAN: Daikin has entered into a capital and business alliance with Miura Corporation, an industrial boiler manufacturer based in Matsuyama on Japan’s Shikoku Island.

USA: The US Environmental Protection Agency has announced $15m in funding for five projects seeking innovative ways to tackle the destruction and reclamation of HFCs.

USA: Danfoss Turbocor has celebrated the opening of its new $62m, 145,000ft2 production facility in Tallahassee, Florida.

JAPAN: Retiring Daikin chairman Noriyuki Inoue is reported to be receiving JPY4.3 billion (US$27m) as a special achievement bonus.

BELGIUM: Coen van de Sande, director of Dutch association NVKL, was re-elected president of European contractors group AREA for a further two years at AREA’s general assembly last week.