Danfoss has received planning permission from Midlothian Council for a new £25 million Low-Carbon Innovation Center in Edinburgh, UK. Located in the Shawfair Business Park, the center will provide a home for Danfoss teams working on next-generation, climate-friendly technologies in hydraulics, digitalization and electrification, plus include new manufacturing facilities.
Covering 75,000 square feet, the facility will serve as the Center of Excellence for Danfoss’ Digital Displacement technology. Digital Displacement radically improves productivity and control in off-highway and industrial applications, while delivering significant reductions in CO2 emissions.
The center will also house Danfoss Editron – Danfoss Power Solutions’ electrification division – and anchor the activities in the Electric Powertrain Integration for Heavy Commercial Vehicles (EPIC) program. Together with partners Meritor and Electra Commercial Vehicles, Danfoss Editron has secured funding from the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre and Innovate UK to develop a next-generation, zero-emission electric powertrain for commercial vehicles, providing OEMs with an advanced solution designed to meet global CO2 reduction targets. The new center will become Danfoss’ UK headquarters for decarbonization programs.
The UK Low-Carbon Innovation Center will be the first building in Danfoss’ global portfolio to be operationally carbon-neutral, an important first step for the company to achieve its goal of becoming carbon neutral in all of its global operations by 2030. The building will recover energy used during production and testing processes as its primary heating source, with a heat pump available as a backup if required. The building’s electricity consumption will also be covered by a Green Power Purchase Agreement. According to estimates, the annual energy savings for heating the center will be approximately 75% less than a conventional, similar-sized building.
Commenting on receiving confirmation of the planning approval, Danfoss‘ Digital Displacement Operational Director Brian Kennedy said: “These are exciting times for Scotland, with the critical COP26 Climate Change Conference scheduled to take place in Glasgow later this year where we will be presenting our technologies, products and solutions front and center. Investing £25 million into this new UK Low-Carbon Innovation Center demonstrates our commitment to our 2030 carbon neutrality goal and aligns with the goals and vision of COP26.”
Jeff Herrin, Vice President of Global R&D, Danfoss Power Solution and executive sponsor for the UK Low-Carbon Innovation Center, added: “Danfoss has a long history of bringing innovative solutions to the most challenging problems in the world. Our new UK Low-Carbon Innovation Center and the game-changing technologies housed within will strengthen our resolve and leadership position by taking real action and bringing together the best technical minds in the world to lead the fight against climate change.”
The Danfoss UK Low-Carbon Innovation Center will be fully operational by the end of 2022. At the time of opening, Danfoss expects 110 team members to be based at the facility, 30 of whom will be new hires. The Low-Carbon Innovation Center has a maximum capacity of approximately 200, which Danfoss estimates will be reached within four years of opening.
