We’re pleased to share an article recently published in the UK magazine Energy in Buildings & Industry, authored by our official distributor Pure Thermal. The piece explores how gas absorption heat pumps (GAHPs) offer a powerful and viable alternative to traditional electric heat pump technologies — especially in contexts where full electrification may not yet be feasible.
Gas absorption heat pumps represent a valuable alternative, particularly in cases where electric heat pumps are difficult to apply — for example, due to power supply constraints or high upgrade costs.
While GAHPs have been used for years in the UK commercial sector, the current focus on electrification and decarbonisation has often sidelined them. However, this technology can meaningfully reduce carbon emissions, using the existing gas infrastructure and requiring minimal electrical upgrades.
GAHPs can act as a transitional solution, delivering immediate carbon savings with lower capital investment, avoiding delays linked to grid capacity constraints. This allows carbon reduction strategies to begin now, with broader electrification to follow later.
The core principle of the technology is using gas energy instead of an electric compressor to power the refrigeration cycle — still operating under the same thermodynamic principle as any heat pump. GAHPs offer very low electrical demand, making them ideal when the goal is reducing gas use rather than eliminating it completely.
The article also highlights the reintroduction of Robur GAHPs to the UK market by Pure Thermal, noting that this proven technology has been successfully applied for over 20 years across many installations.