Japanese OEM MHI to Release 40HP CO₂ Condensing Unit in 2020

Japanese OEM Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration (MHI) today announced the 2020 introduction of a 40HP model in its line of “C-Puzzle” CO2 condensing units.

The 40HP CO2 system was developed in response to “the increasing need for larger-capacity CO2 systems in the fields of food freezing and refrigeration in Japan,” according to an MHI press release. The system has an operating temperature range of -45°C (-49°F) to -5°C (23°F) and is rated for ambient temperatures of -15℃ (5°F) to 43℃ (109°F). Sales, currently limited to the Japanese domestic market, are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2020.

MHI did not disclose how many units it expects to install next year; however, due to “an increasing market demand for [CO2] units above 20HP, we expect an increase in sales towards [the industrial refrigeration] segment,” the company said.

Sales of MHI’s existing line up of 10- and 20-HP “C-Puzzle” CO2 condensing units have been increasing rapidly in Japan. This past July, the company said it had already doubled its 2018 fiscal year total sales in the first quarter of 2019, selling 160 units (MHI’s fiscal year runs from April through March).