German manufacturer opens mega factory for heat pumps

Oil and gas heating systems are on the sidelines, the heat pump should lead Germany into the heating future. The demand for heat pumps is increasing accordingly. A traditional German manufacturer is now responding by starting a mega factory. 300,000 heat pumps are to roll off the production line every year.

According to the goal of the federal government, six million heat pumps are to be installed in German residential buildings by 2030. But the ambitious plan has several snags: there is a lack of power lines, there is a shortage of installers and the waiting times for a heat pump are long. At least with the latter, there is now a silver lining on the horizon.

Vaillant is building a new mega factory for heat pumps

traditional manufacturer Vaillant puts a new factory for heat pumps into operation. It is located in Senica, Slovakia, and is supposed to be a annual production capacity of 300,000 heat pumps offer (source: Handelsblatt).

With the new mega factory, which covers an area the size of more than 14 soccer fields, the Remscheid-based group is doubling its production capacities for heat pumps to more than half a million a year.

For Vaillant boss Norbert Schiedeck, the start is a further step towards becoming “a leading manufacturer of heat pumps”. Since 2016, Vailliant has invested around one billion euros in expanding its heat pump business. Another billion is to flow in the next few years.

However, it will be some time before the Slovakian factory is producing at full capacity. Only from 2024according to a company spokesman, the plant could at full capacity work and roll 300,000 heat pumps off the assembly line.

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Controversy over heat pumps continues

However, the switch to heat pumps pushed through by politicians is not undisputed. Many consumers fear horrendous costs, since heat pumps are extremely expensive to install and can cost up to 40,000 euros. According to estimates by experts, many residential buildings in Germany are not at all suitable for the installation of a heat pump.