DeWITT, N.Y. — Bitzer Scroll, a German firm which has a location in DeWitt, will use a federal grant of more than $5 million to increase production of electric heat-pump components at its DeWitt factory.
The funding will help the firm create 20 new “good-paying,” clean-energy jobs, the office of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) said in announcing the funding.
Bitzer has committed to nearly $6 million of matching investment to realize its manufacturing expansion, Schumer’s office noted.
Bitzer Scroll manufactures scroll compressors which are primary components in commercial and industrial electric heat pumps and chillers.
The money comes from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Heat Pump Defense Production Act (DPA) program. It will help Bitzer Scroll improve its domestic-production capacity of commercial scroll compressors for electric heat-pump applications to “strengthen” the domestic supply of this technology that is “surging in demand to help families lower costs thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act,” Schumer’s office said.
“On behalf of us all at Bitzer, I would like to Senator Schumer for advocating to help us secure this highly competitive $5 million award from the US Department of Energy to add 20 new jobs and expand compressor manufacturing operations in our home of nearly two decades, Syracuse NY. Bitzer is a global company that is built on the talents and loyalties of our employees, a focus on producing in and for local markets, and strong partnerships with leaders like MACNY and Senator Schumer” John Allcott, VP of operations in North America, for BITZER SE, said in the Schumer announcement. “This DOE funding along with BITZER’s own multi-million dollar investment will allow us to expand production of the advanced, high efficiency compressors we are renowned for and are required to manufacture the next-generation of heating and cooling systems in North America. The DOE award supports the wider issues of lowering CO2 emissions using electrical power derived from Green Energy sources and supporting the manufacturing of these products and systems in the USA.”
Schumer said that Bitzer Scroll is one of just four awardees in this “highly competitive” round of DOE funding. The company plans to use this federal investment to increase the manufacturing capacity of its 7.5-to-50-ton scroll compressors by tens of thousands of units annually.
More specifically, Bitzer will use the funding to bolster facility infrastructure to support greater electrical load; increase capacity by adding new computer numerical-control machining centers; and establish a new assembly line to meet anticipated production requirements.