News: FireChill signs agreement with Capstone

FireChill, the global green cooling technology company with a manufacturing base in Rotherham, has signed an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement with the world's leading producer of low-emission microturbine systems, Capstone.

Both parties will work to produce ammonia absorption chilling packages, powered by microturbines for combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) applications.

The PowerChill system will use energy-efficient Capstone microturbines manufactured in California, and FireChill's proven, patented, heat-activated cooling technology will recover the energy from the exhaust heat of the microturbine and effectively deliver free cooling.

The green benefits are magnified many times by recycling the exhaust heat and by extracting the heat from the exhaust, there is less heat expelled into the atmosphere, reducing the effect of global warming.

When used in conjunction with a condenser, Powerchill can even produce water extracted from high humidity air, or recovered from cooling tower vapour and stored for later use.

Manufactured in Rotherham by Firechill Manufacturing, a joint venture between Rotherham-based Newburgh Engineering and Leeds-based Firechill, PowerChill is a pre-engineered, factory assembled and tested product that can quickly and easily be installed onsite.

The systems are well suited to construction sites, off-grid environments, data centres and a number of portable and temporary uses which opens the doors to new markets for both FireChill and Capstone distributors.

Mark Gilbreth, Capstone's Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Technology Officer said: "Capstone is delighted to be working with FireChill on future technology rich projects.

"We have already demonstrated that our products provide clean and reliable energy sources and can build sustainable energy development. By working with FireChill to deliver broader applications, we will be able to demonstrate more uses for the microturbine and help reduce carbon emissions.

"This is just the kind of cooperative development we seek that can so easily lead to breakthrough technology. The projects already underway with FireChill have the potential to open up large markets, including the previously untapped rental market."

Simon Clothier, CEO of FireChill, added: "Capstone is a company with a great set of products for us. They have a super-efficient turbine and we have a way of turning their waste heat into cooling without further energy input and at low or no cost. We can do this in a variety of ways and in a range of environments.

"This agreement with Capstone will allow us to explore what is really possible and we can now work smarter, faster and together to bring a more diverse set of usable, relevant green applications to market."

In June FireChill secured just under £1m from a group of private investors to add to the £4m invested to date in research and development. The new money was to fund accelerated infrastructure development, product field-testing and manufacturing mobilisation.

Firechill website
Capstone website

Images: Firechill