22 November 2022
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Joe Dunn, John Forkin, Pauline Latham MP and Henrik Hansen at the Vaillant plant
Vaillant has officially opened its new multi-million-pound heat pump production line at its headquarters in Belper, Derbyshire.
The new line was opened by John Forkin, MD of Marketing Derby, who was joined by guest, Pauline Latham MP for Mid Derbyshire. Marking a £4million investment in the factory’s low carbon production capabilities, it reinforces the company’s commitment to ensuring that all UK homes can be heated via the most effective technology for each UK property, be that a heat pump or boiler.
Vaillant has been producing heat pumps for the UK market since the early 2000s. This latest addition to the Belper plant furthers the company’s experience in innovation and developing industry-leading heating technologies and follows a £55 million investment in its research and development facility at its headquarters in Remscheid in 2018.
The new prouction line will be dedicated to producing Vaillant’s aroTHERM plus air-to-water heat pump. Launched in 2020, the aroTHERM plus uses natural refrigerant R290 and is capable of achieving hot water flow temperatures of up to 75 degrees, meaning the water is stored in the cylinder at a useable temperature without the need for a backup heater.
Henrik Hansen, managing director of Vaillant Group UK & Ireland said: “We know there is no single solution when it comes to heating our homes in the UK as the breadth of property type is diverse. Heat pumps are a here and now technology that can offer decarbonisation benefits, however the future is likely to be made up of a mix of heat pump, hybrid and boiler technologies. Ultimately, we want to help consumers feel in a position to make an informed choice about what will work for both their lifestyle and their property.
“Vaillant has seen many ‘firsts’ in its nearly 150-year history, and I’m delighted to now be announcing the commissioning of the company’s new heat pump manufacturing line in the UK. It’s a huge testament to our incredibly talented and dedicated team, and their vision and commitment to taking the business forward, that we are celebrating this latest milestone.
“Indeed, the widescale need to transition to low carbon is a once in a generation occurrence. The popularity of heat pump technology is growing at pace and is expected to continue to do so as homeowners become comfortable with the workings of lower carbon heating systems. This important move means we can help increase the availability of UK made heat pumps and further our support for installers via supply, training and installation guidance, as they make the shift to new heating technologies.”
Joe Dunn, plant director UK at Vaillant, added: “This is such an exciting time to be part of Vaillant in the UK as we diversify our product offering and grow our team to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. It is wonderful to see our aroTHERM Plus air-to-water heat pump production line now fully functional and producing products for the UK market, alongside our high-efficiency boilers.
“The successful diversification of our product offering, from our UK production facility, has been the result of significant investment in the plant and our fantastic team vision and dedication. The whole team have worked exceptionally hard to install and commission this line, which is an absolute credit to them all. Many of our team retrained and gained new skills to ensure that we can fulfil the requirements for this new technology and can continue to deliver the outstanding quality associated with our products.”
