MAN Energy Supplies Heat Pump System for Scout Motors Production Plant

MAN Energy Solutions is delivering a large-scale heat pump system to Scout Motors Inc. for its new 1,100 acre electric vehicle (EV) production facility in Blythewood, SC, designed to produce over 200,000 EVs per year. To address the facility’s heating and cooling demands, MAN Energy will install the heat pump solution featuring two compressors, each delivering a 12.5 MW output. It will generate heat during mild winter months and cooling throughout summer by transferring thermal energy from ambient air.

“We are thrilled to partner with Scout Motors on this project,” said Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions. “Our technology expertise and process knowledge allow us to provide the advantages of large-scale heat pumps to industrial and municipal customers. Our heat pump solution can meet factory or community heating and cooling needs without emitting any CO₂. This project could serve as a blueprint for future production facilities in the United States and all over the world.”

The 25 MW adaptable system includes two five-stage RH71 heat pump compressors—both units provide cooling, while a single compressor can satisfy heating requirements. In addition, the order includes electric motors and process equipment such as condensers, coolers, evaporators, piping, and a control system. Scout Motors will begin vehicle production by year-end 2026, while handover and commissioning of MAN Energy’s large-scale heat pump is slated for Q1 2026.

RH-type compressor for large-scale heat pump system; Image Credits: MAN Energy Solutions

"The specific ambient conditions demanded a highly adaptable operating map for the applied turbomachinery technology," said Mikael Adler, Senior Vice President, Head of Sales and Project Management Heat Pumps at MAN Energy Solutions. "The decision was made in favor of our RH compressor as the core technology of our advanced heat pump system for the Scout Motors project. The design minimizes the need for external piping and seals, enhancing machine availability."

In March 2024, MAN Energy was commissioned to deliver 11 electrically driven RB-type centrifugal-compression trains for installation on a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel at the Raia project in the Campos Basin of Brazil—about 200 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. The reservoir lies at a depth of approximately 2,900 meters and is estimated to hold more than 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent. The equipment supply, commissioned by Offshore Frontier Solutions, will support the FPSO’s gas lift, injection, and export applications.

The order includes:

• Two trains with type RB 28-6+3 compressors as overhead units
• Two trains with type RB 45-4+5 compressors as low-pressure units
• Five trains with type RB 28-5 compressors as medium- and high-pressure units
• Two trains with type RB 28-8 compressors as gas injection units

Gas injection and overhead compressor units are driven by fixed-speed electrical motors; the high- and low-pressure units will be outfitted with variable frequency drives (VFD). Both medium-pressure compressor units are equipped with a switch control system, allowing operators to select either fixed speed or VFD operation in line with their requirements. MAN will help to maintain the field pressure of the units to maximize the quantity and efficiency of gas production.