The investment comes at a time when the European market is rapidly moving towards electrification and the use of lower-impact refrigerants, driven by decarbonization policies, EcoDesign efficiency thresholds and the ongoing review of the Fluorinated Gases Regulation; the tests have been carried out in accordance with Eurovent-certified performance methodologies at Carrier's facilities in Montluel (Lyon, France).
According to JLL's "2026 Global Data Center Outlook" report, data centers in the EMEA region will add 13 GW of new capacity by 2030, with growth concentrated in established European hubs such as London, Frankfurt, and Paris, driven by demand from hyperscalers and investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure. With an investment of €12 million, Carrier's state-of-the-art testing laboratory at its Montluel facility strengthens the company's industrial and R&D capabilities.
“With these new Eurovent-certified testing laboratory facilities, we are raising the bar in terms of the support we provide to our customers and partners in Europe,” said Bertrand Rotagnon, Managing Director of the Commercial and Data Center Business Line for Europe. “The combination of increased testing capacity and advanced environmental control allows us to validate performance with zero tolerance, at an earlier stage, and bring solutions to market faster, giving customers the confidence to move towards high-efficiency cooling and heating systems for data centers, industry, and district heating.”.
The rehearsal room offers extensive rehearsal capabilities, including:
• Air-cooled chiller up to 3,200 kW
• Air source heat pump up to 1,500 kW
• Water source chiller/heat pump up to 6,000 kW
• Environmental conditions from −20 °C to +60 °C with humidity control
• Water flow rate up to 1,600 m³/h
"The new testing facilities expand our engineering team's ability to test and validate chillers and heat pumps under very diverse and demanding operating conditions," said Nicolas Fonte, Systems Engineering Director at Carrier Climate Solutions Europe.
"This new equipment allows us to validate with great precision the performance of the latest generation chillers and large-scale heat pump platforms, enabling us to meet the growing demands of customers for future infrastructure.".
