Garrett Motion has unveiled an oil-free centrifugal compressor technology for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems at AHR Expo 2026 in Las Vegas (February 2 to 4). It also announced a product roadmap for what it calls the industry’s first oil-free centrifugal compressor portfolio spanning cooling demands from seven to 500 Tons (25 to 1,750 kWc), targeting both new installations and retrofit projects.
Garrett says the design is intended as an alternative to scroll, screw, and magnetic bearing-based compressor solutions for most use cases. The company reports the platform draws on its turbo machinery, high-speed electric motors, ultra-high switching frequency inverters, and model-based software development, with these “technology building blocks” already validated and deployed in specific automotive applications.
For operators and integrators, Garrett claims the compressors can reduce total cost through lower energy consumption and reduced maintenance, and that they support the use of next-generation ultra-low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants. Garrett also claims the compressors’ compactness and low weight enable retrofit onto existing installations with “a fast payback.”
Garrett positions the portfolio for commercial HVAC applications including rooftop and unitary units, chillers for comfort cooling, various data center cooling applications, and battery energy storage applications. It reports trials with “leading HVAC system integrators” have shown energy savings of more than 10 percent in real-life use versus existing solutions.
Samples for customer testing are available now, with start of production scheduled for late 2026. Garrett said it is exhibiting at AHR Expo at Booth SL3023.
Source: Garrett Motion
