“These are expected to be an export success”

— Gebwell is among the first to bring new EU-regulation-compliant heat pumps to the market.

The European Union published a new F-gas regulation last year, which came into effect on March 11, 2024. Gebwell, a company specializing in heating and cooling solutions based in Leppävirta, Finland, is now launching two large-scale heat pumps that operate with natural refrigerants in compliance with the new regulation.

“There are currently not many large-scale heat pumps on the market that use natural refrigerants. Due to the new regulation, demand will be high, and we are now ready to meet this need,” says Petrus Monni, Deputy CEO of Gebwell.

The new regulation is a key part of the EU’s Green Deal program. With the update to the F-gas regulation, the use of fluorinated refrigerants will be banned in several devices after transitional periods. F-gases are a group of greenhouse gases formed by various chemical compounds. The regulation is one of the key measures aimed at achieving the EU’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

“The new G-Eco series geothermal heat pumps are suitable for heating and cooling larger buildings. Companies and housing associations have many good reasons to upgrade their heating and cooling systems, with the most essential ones being their own carbon neutrality goals and economic reasons related to energy costs. The new regulation accelerates this change. In Europe, these devices have been available in very limited numbers, and we expect these new products to be an export success. Demand is also expected to be strong in Finland, as major retail chains, for example, switch to natural refrigerants,” says Monni.

Gebwell’s entire heat pump offering to gradually transition to natural refrigerants

Gebwell selected R290 refrigerant, commonly known as propane, for their new G-Eco heat pump range. The Global Warming Potential (GWP) of propane is only 3. For comparison, R410A, the most commonly used refrigerant in current heat pumps, has a GWP of 2088. This means that, if released into the atmosphere, R410A has 2088 times the effect on global warming compared to the same amount of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. Under the new F-gas regulation, only refrigerants and blends with very low GWP values will ultimately remain in use.

“We chose propane because it works well in geothermal systems. Natural refrigerant G-Eco heat pumps are already available in 40 and 120 kW capacities, and our range will expand early next year to include additional capacities. We are also gradually updating our entire product portfolio to meet the new regulation’s requirements,” says Monni.

For a broader overview of the F-gas regulation and its significance, visit: Gebwell F-gas Regulation Overview.

For more information: Petrus Monni
Deputy CEO
petrus.monni@gebwell.fi
+358 400 897 484

Gebwell, based in Leppävirta, manufactures environmentally friendly heating and cooling systems for buildings. Founded in 2006, the company’s product offerings include district heating substations, heat pumps, energy accumulators, and water heaters. In addition to Finland, Gebwell operates in Sweden and Poland.