Copeland Eco Thrust EE compressors

Kirloskar Copeland's `eco thrust' paying dividends Copeland Eco Thrust Report

Our Bureau
PUNE, Sept. 26
COMPRESSOR manufacturer Kirloskar Copeland Ltd (KCL) on Wednesday said it has achieved a total sale of one lakh eco-friendly compressors in the commercial refrigeration segment in India, the first domestic company to have achieved this level.
The company , which pioneered the development of eco-friendly products in 1993, well before the Montreal Protocol deadline for phase out of chlorofluro carbon, now has 90 per cent of the domestic market for eco-friendly compressors, the Managing Director , Mr K. Taranath, said.
The company is now expecting to grow in business by tapping the potential for the transition of existing traditional compressors into eco-friendly compressors in the commercial refrigeration segment, he says.
The domestic market for compressors in the commercial refrigeration segment is currently at the level of 4,00,000 units with the largest groups in this being beverage companies and ice-cream cabinet segment.
``We are also entering a niche segment of the large sized condensing unit for milk chilling and industrial applications'', Mr Taranath said adding that the company would tap the potential demand for the products in the 3 and 5 hp segments. ``We expect to do business worth Rs 5 crore this year'', he said.
Meanwhile, the company was examining the feasibility of manufacturing in India a range of energy-efficient scroll compressors for airconditioners from Copeland. The company had recently been appointed the sole sales agent for the range of Copeland scroll compressors for ACs , he added.
``We are looking at the feasibility of manufacturing scroll compressors in the 2.5-7 tonnes range in India'', Mr. Taranath said adding that the manufacturing domestically would require investments of approximately Rs 50 crore. ``We will commence manufact uring in India only when the demand goes up significantly'', he said.
The Rs 226-crore Kirloskar Copeland is a joint venture between Kirloskar Brothers Ltd and Copeland Corp of the US. KBL holds 51 per cent equity in the company while the latter holds the remaining 49 percent stake. Copeland Corp is the largest producer of compressors globally in the 1/5 hp to 120 hp range while KCL is the market leader in air-conditioning and refrigeration compressor industry in India, offering products from 1/8 hp to 120 hp range.