Patrick Crombez elected president of the board of the European Heat Pump Association

Brussels, 17 April 2024 – Daikin is pleased to announce that Patrick Crombez, General Manager Heating and Renewables EMEA at Daikin Europe, was elected president of the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA). 

The EHPA serves as the umbrella organisation for the European heat pump industry, promoting awareness and deployment of heat pump technology across Europe. Yesterday the EHPA’s members voted in a new board of directors, which then elected Patrick Crombez, General Manager Heating and Renewables at Daikin Europe, as its president. He takes over from Martin Forsén from NIBE. The new board and president have a two year mandate.

Patrick Crombez has been with Daikin Europe for over 30 years and has been leading its heat pump heating business since 2007. Commenting on the appointment, Patrick Crombez said: “I’m honoured to succeed Martin Forsén as president of the European Heat Pump Association. Nearly 25 years ago, research institutes, manufacturers, universities, testing labs and energy agencies united around a shared goal to increase the adoption of low-carbon heat pump technologies. Their importance has only grown since the EHPA was established: as a central part of a renewable, sustainable and smart energy system, heat pumps are the number one heating and cooling choice for residential and professional use.

If Europe’s industrialisation is a priority for this and the next EU commission, stability and consistency in regulations are basic requirements. Decarbonisation of heating is and can remain based in Europe. All industry associations agree on that point. Together, we’re repeating our call for an EU Heat Pump Action plan without delay. Together, we are advocating for more energy independency and clean heat.”

Heat pumps make use of the renewable energy that is available in the air to heat spaces and hot water. They are extremely energy efficient and have a much lower carbon footprint that fossil fuel heating systems. Heat pumps and a level playing field for electricity pricing versus the cost of fossil fuels, are indispensable elements in any plan to cut carbon emissions for heating and cooling buildings. Together with EHPA members, Daikin, a leader in the industry in Europe, is taking action to increase the adoption of low-carbon heat pump technologies across Europe.

Daikin has announced several investments to support the development of heat pump heating solutions in Europe. The Japanese multinational has installed its global heat pump heating R&D in Belgium and will open its new EMEA Development Center in Ghent later this year. The company is also constructing a new residential heat pump heating factory in Lodz, Poland to boost its European production capacity in view of the expected increase in demand for the low carbon technology. Though the market has been going through a slow-down in 2023, the company is convinced the market will eventually pick up to realise the much needed transition to low carbon heating.