Daikin, the Japan-based maker of heat pumps and air conditioners, has relocated to its new multimillion-dollar facility in Christchurch.
Daikin’s Hornby facility, which opened last week, stands as the largest heating, ventilation, and air conditioning warehouse in New Zealand’s South Island.
The company stated it has expanded its logistics operations while developing skilled workers and infrastructure to aid New Zealand’s shift toward electric, low-emission buildings.
Climate-damaging refrigerants from old heat pumps are being recycled at the Hornby facility to keep them out of landfills.
This aligns with Daikin’s model of intercepting residential and commercial heat pump systems before disposal to recover reusable refrigerant, which gets cleaned and reprocessed for new and existing units.
“As supply caps tighten and emissions pricing is applied, the cost of servicing and replacing refrigerant is becoming a more material part of building operating costs,” Daikin New Zealand managing director Ryuta Hayashibara said.
He said refrigerants play a key role in high-efficiency heat pump technology for low-emission heating and cooling. The focus must shift to proper management rather than treating them as disposable.
Japanese research shows that reclaimed refrigerant can cut its carbon footprint by 72% to 90%—depending on the gas type—compared to producing and importing new refrigerant.
Hayashibara noted that the South Island’s colder, more variable climate is fuelling stronger demand for heat pumps and commercial heating systems, thereby increasing refrigerant volumes.
The fully electric Hornby facility features a 100kW rooftop solar system along with charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and material-handling equipment.
The facility can handle roughly 450,000 cubic metres of freight annually and accommodates the company’s South Island sales team, trade centre, showroom, and training academy.