Ebm-papst was awarded the highest honor

Ebm-papst was awarded the highest honor, the German Sustainability Award 2026, in the Climate category. The jury recognized the company's innovative development, the oil-free turbo compressor CompaNamic, which operates on the natural refrigerant propane (R290).

This is the company's first product in this field, designed for use in refrigeration equipment and heat pumps. The award's experts highlighted that this technology significantly increases the performance and resource savings in such systems, and also has a "comprehensive positive effect" at all stages of operation.

"Winning this award is a testament to the success of our 'Innovation for Growth' strategy. It shows that our cutting-edge technologies are actively contributing to a more sustainable future," said Thomas Smetana, Technical Director of ebm-papst.

Main features and technical details According to the manufacturer, the CompaNamic turbocharger eliminates the use of oil, uses the environmentally friendly propane refrigerant (R290), and does not contain any hazardous PFC substances. This not only improves energy efficiency but also simplifies the device's disposal process.

The unit will be produced in three versions:

Model P2: maximum power of 3 kW, rotation speed of up to 230,000 revolutions per minute, and a weight of 1.6 kg.

Model P3.1: maximum power of 6 kW, rotation speed up to 160,000 rpm, weight of 3.2 kg.

Model P3.2: maximum power of 10 kW, rotation speed of up to 140,000 revolutions per minute, and a weight of 4.8 kg.

It is specifically noted that the 3 kW and 10 kW versions are "most optimally adapted" for working with propane as a refrigerant.

Production launch schedule and testing stages The mass production of the CompaNamic product is planned to begin in 2028, and the first model to be introduced to the market will be the P3.2 propane model. Currently, the 3-kilowatt model is being tested as part of an oil-free geothermal heat pump developed in collaboration with the German Fraunhofer ISE Institute. After the completion of these tests, the company will continue to test the 10-kilowatt version of the compressor.