Robur Secures Grant Funding from Canada’s NGIF to Develop Hydrogen-Ready Gas Heat Pump for North American Residential Market.
Robur has secured CAD 1,068,853 in grant funding from NGIF Accelerator, Canada’s cleantech innovation catalyst for the natural gas sector, to advance the development of its K18 hydrogen-ready gas absorption heat pump for the North American residential market.
Funded under the NGIF Accelerator Industry Grants program, the project aims to bring high-efficiency, low-emission heating solutions to homes across Canada and the United States.
The Robur K18, currently under development and not available on the North American market at the moment, is designed to deliver space heating and domestic hot water with high efficiency and a reduced environmental footprint. Operating on natural gas or propane, the unit requires minimal electricity and uses an absorption cycle with a refrigerant free of environmentally harmful substances. The system is engineered to handle blends containing up to 20% hydrogen, supporting the transition toward cleaner energy in residential heating.
Unlike the K18, Robur’s full range of GAHP Plus and GA ACF gas absorption heat pumps for heating and cooling and Chillers is already available and operating across North America, providing energy-efficient and environmentally responsible solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
The project will roll out in three phases: prototype development, reliability testing and certification, followed by pre-series production, including the validation of a hydronic kit for domestic hot water supply.
“Robur’s hydrogen-ready K18 Heat Pump brings together efficiency, environmental responsibility, and ease of integration, offering a smart, energy-efficient alternative to conventional heating systems,” said John Adams, President and CEO of NGIF Accelerator. “Our Industry Grants program and its focus on de-risking technologies through field trials and pilots are part of NGIF’s integrated model of industry validation, customer creation, and technology commercialization.”
“The K18 Project, developed for the North American market with the valuable support of NGIF Accelerator, marks a major strategic milestone for Robur. We are now able to offer a broader audience a concrete solution for everyday comfort, one that not only delivers high performance and efficiency but also significantly reduces CO₂ emissions. The K18 Heat Pump is a tangible step toward decarbonization and a low-emission energy future,” said Leonardo Guerra, President, Robur.
“FortisBC recognizes that new products and approaches are needed to help advance provincial climate action targets and goals set out in the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030,” said Dawn Mehrer, Vice-President of Corporate Services and Technology at FortisBC. “Our financial and organizational support for this stage of the K18 Project reflects our commitment to the development of energy technologies with the potential to improve efficiency, reliability, and sustainability, and to providing long-term value for the customers we serve.”
“Canadians want and need the affordable, reliable, and low-emission energy service offering they have come to expect from the natural gas industry. When we created NGIF, it was our vision to bring the entire natural gas value chain together to support cleantech development that enhances environmental and economic performance for the sector. I am glad to see our vision in action as NGIF continues to support innovations like Robur K18,” said Timothy M. Egan, President and CEO, Canadian Gas Association, and Chair, NGIF Capital Corporation.
NGIF Accelerator is the non-profit arm of NGIF Capital, supporting the development and industrial validation of new energy technologies in collaboration with federal and provincial governments to co-fund projects and accelerate commercialization.
For more information, www.ngif.ca
FortisBC is British Columbia’s leading natural gas and electricity utility, serving over 1.3 million customers. The company promotes renewable natural gas and hydrogen and invests in clean technologies to reduce emissions, in alignment with the CleanBC plan.
For more information, www.fortisbc.com
The Canadian Gas Association (CGA) is the voice of Canada’s gas energy delivery industry, including natural gas, renewable natural gas (RNG), and hydrogen. Its members are distribution and transmission companies, equipment manufacturers, suppliers and other service providers. Today, natural gas meets almost 40 per cent of the country’s energy needs.
For more information, www.cga.ca