Italy and UNEP Offer Up to $1 Million for Sustainable Cooling Projects
Italy’s Ministry of Environment and Energy Security and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have opened a grant program to support sustainable cooling in Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco and Tunisia. The program will target the tertiary sector, including hospitals, universities and public buildings, as well as the industrial sector with a focus on port infrastructure and agri-food logistics. Projects can receive between $200,000 and $1 million (€172,694 and €863,470), with awardees or their partners required to co-finance 20% of the award. Applications are open to public and private entities and research institutions. The deadline for applications is October 31, 2026.
Enrad to Provide R290 Heat Pumps to Schiphol Airport
Enrad said it has received an order from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam for its propane (R290) heat pumps among a handful of other projects in the Netherlands. The Swedish company said it has booked a total of €400,000 ($463,176) worth of orders in the country from its local partner and distributor OSH. In addition to its Schiphol order, Enrad will supply heat pumps to the headquarters of Priva, a company that develops automation systems for buildings and horticulture, and an 85-unit apartment building in the city of Alkmaar.
“The projects at Schiphol, Priva and Oranjehof [Alkmaar] demonstrate the relevance of our offering in the Dutch market, combining natural refrigerants, modular system design and combined heating and cooling,” said Andreas Bäckäng, CEO of Enrad, in a press statement.
SLB Acquires Kelvion for $3.4 Billion
Energy technology company SLB has acquired heat exchanger manufacturer Kelvion from U.S. private equity firm Apollo for $3.4 billion (€2.9 billion). Kelvion supplies heat exchangers to the data center, refrigeration, energy and heavy industry sectors.
“This transaction accelerates our ambition to become an industrial technology partner to the data center industry and help customers address the growing infrastructure complexity required to scale AI,” said Olivier Le Peuch, CEO of SLB, in a statement.
This marks the second ownership change for Kelvion in as many years. In August 2025, European private equity firm Triton agreed to sell its majority stake in Kelvion to Apollo. Triton retained a minority stake in Kelvion, which SLB has also acquired.
Qvantum Replaces Biomass Boiler at 13th Century U.K. Church with R290 Heat Pumps
Swedish manufacturer Qvantum has supplied a propane air-to-water heat pump system in a 13th-century church in Essex, England. The four Qvantum QA22 heat pumps replace an existing biomass boiler and are configured in a cascade arrangement with a capacity of 88kW (25TR). Each unit is self-regulating and delivers a water temperature of 55°C (131°F). The system provides space heating to the church hall via radiators and the main church through underfloor heating and fan convectors.
Frascold Releases New Ammonia and CO2 Compressors
Italian manufacturer Frascold has announced the launch of a new line of ammonia (R717) and CO2 (R744) compressors. The ALUMINIUM semi-hermetic ammonia screw compressor, as the name suggests, is made with aluminium.
Specifically, the metal is used in the compressor motor along with permanent magnets, which Frascold said in a statement “marks a significant step in terms of chemical resistance and operational continuity over time.” The ALUMINIUM line consists of eight compressors with a volumetric displacement between 315 and 470m3/h (185 and 277CFM) at 50 Hz and between 378 and 564m3/h (222 and 332CFM) at 60 Hz. Capacity ranges from 97–120kW (27.5–34.1TR).
The new CO2 compressor has a two-stage piston design and is available in 11 models across three sizes. The CO2 range offers volumetric displacements of 1.5–12.6m3/h (0.9–7.4CFM) at 50Hz and can operate at evaporation temperatures down to −50°C (−58°F) and at up to 155bar (2,248psi) on the high-pressure side. The new compressors will be exhibited at Chillventa, which will take place in Nuremberg, Germany, October 13–15, 2026.
