Gas absorption heat pumps offer option where power upgrades are a barrier
Heat decarbonisation in commercial buildings usually points straight to electrification via heat pumps. But on many retrofit projects, the extra electrical capacity needed for large electric heat pumps is expensive, slow to obtain and, in some areas, not available in the short term.
Gas absorption heat pumps (GAHPs) offer another route. They use existing gas supplies and only a small electrical input to cut gas consumption compared with boilers, delivering immediate carbon savings without waiting for costly electrical upgrades.
The relaunched Robur commercial GAHP range, now available in the UK through Pure Thermal, is based on modular 40 kW units that can be installed singly, in cascades or on factory-built skids. Systems can also be configured as hybrids alongside gas boilers or electric air source heat pumps, with the GAHPs sized to deliver most of the annual heat load and other plant providing top-up at peak demand.
Pure Thermal says GAHPs connect to the incumbent gas supply, can achieve flow temperatures up to around 70°C and are suitable for many existing emitter systems. The company highlights that hundreds of Robur GAHPs have already been installed in the UK since the mid-2000s and is running webinars and training sessions through 2026 for installers, designers and specifiers interested in applying the technology on new and retrofit projects.
