Vitalis has officially opened a new cleantech manufacturing facility in Kelowna, British Columbia, doubling its production capacity and creating over 50 skilled jobs. The company states the expansion will support shorter lead times for customers and strengthen its role in the North American market for natural refrigerant systems.
The 25,000 sq. ft. facility was inaugurated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by James Seabrook, President of Vitalis, with participation from provincial and municipal leaders including Her Honour, The Honourable Wendy Cocchia, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia; Stephen Fuhr, Member of Parliament (Elect) for Kelowna; and Tom Dyas, Mayor of Kelowna.
Vitalis manufactures chillers, heat pumps, and refrigeration systems using the natural refrigerant R744 (CO2). According to the company, these systems are being deployed across supermarkets, cold storage sites, industrial processing plants, and university campuses, supporting projects that avoid PFAS ("forever chemicals") and align with climate action goals.
A highlighted project during the opening event was Vitalis’s collaboration with the University of British Columbia Okanagan on decarbonizing one of its district energy systems. The campus is currently commissioning a Vitalis Coolshift 1.5 MW R744 air-source heat pump, described as the largest of its kind in North America.
“This will displace gas boiler heating for base load and reduce GHG emissions by over 815 metric tons annually,” said Colin Richardson, Associate Director of the Energy Team at UBCO. “The UBCO climate action plan has a target of reducing emissions by 65% by 2030 from our 2013 baseline. This project will achieve more than 50% of our GHG reduction targets and will accelerate our journey to our 2030 targets.”