GEA Group Rebrands Refrigeration Technologies division as GEA Heating & Refrigeration Technologies

German manufacturer GEA Group on October 13 announced that its Refrigeration Technologies division is now operating under the name GEA Heating & Refrigeration Technologies to emphasize the energy-saving integration of its heat pump and cooling technologies.

In its announcement, GEA noted that in applications such as food, beverage and dairy processing, products are usually heated up and then refrigerated. In these scenarios, GEA's heat pumps can reuse and upcycle waste heat from refrigeration processes and repurpose it in the production process, thus cutting energy consumption. 

"Our name change clearly signals our long-term commitment to the growing heating and refrigeration market by providing our customers with integrated solutions that are more energy efficient and better for the environment," said Kai Becker, CEO of GEA Heating & Refrigeration Technologies. "We have the knowledge, the technology and the ability to successfully implement innovative projects that enable customers to build green factories that comply with current and future emission targets."

GEA offers a range of heat pumps and refrigeration systems that use ammonia/NH₃ (R717) refrigerant, as well as R717 compressors.

GEA also announced that it is investing a “high single-digit million-Euro sum” in the extension of its test centers throughout Europe.

The expansion from 400 to 850m² at its existing test center in Berlin started in May 2021 and is scheduled to conclude in 2023. As the facility will be 90% automated and operational 24/7, customers will “benefit from digital and real-time machine and performance data,” said GEA.

In Den Bosch, Netherlands, GEA is integrating its off-site test centers into the existing factory and extending it with new state-of-the art test equipment.

"These measures help drive GEA's own sustainability goals as well as increase customer satisfaction by providing them support on their road to decarbonization," Becker added.

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