Eschborn, Germany, 6th April 2026, ZEX PR WIRE — Midea has officially reached the milestone of 10 million units in global sales for its R290 air conditioners1. This achievement underscores the increasing demand in the market for natural refrigerants. Midea remains the world’s No.1 R290 air conditioner brand for the third consecutive year (verified by Euromonitor)2.
Accelerating the Transition to Natural Refrigerant
This impressive sales figure is a clear tipping point in the industry. It is not a passing trend, it is the new standard.
F-gas regulations are strict in Europe and Midea’s success proves that R290 is the right path for phasing out of high GWP refrigerants. Market acceptance reflects the trust that consumers and installers have in these products by Midea. Safe, scalable and proven.
The positive impact so far is incredible. Approximately 5.2 million tons of CO2 equivalent emissions have been avoided.
Overcoming Barriers
Widespread adoption of R290 faced some technical challenges. Midea invested heavily into R&D to address concerns and deliver the efficiency that the market demands. Midea has been pioneering innovations in leakage prevention and flammability control for over 15 years. Their proprietary safety systems offer both high energy efficiency and operational stability.
As an official member of the United Nations Global Compact, Midea continues to support Sustainable Development Goals and establish international standards, even receiving awards for its contributions.
The German Blue Angel award is another feather in the cap as it is only given to products that are considered environmentally friendly.
The Malta Blueprint: A Success Story
Midea’s strategy to accelerate the adoption of R290 in Europe, is to pair the technology with localized support. To address the knowledge gap and tackle installer concerns, Midea partnered with KENKAR in Malta, to pioneer an “education first” approach.
Hands-on training and education programs empowered local installers to become confident advocates for R290 in their local communities. In just one year 240 units were installed with zero safety incidents.
This success serves as a scalable blueprint for the rest of Europe, for how to skill up installers to deliver rapid and safe deployment of devices using this superior refrigerant.
A Clear Pathway for the Future of HVAC
As the European HVAC sector navigates the complex landscape of regulatory changes and decarbonization goals, Midea’s 10 million unit milestone, offers a clear signal: the era of natural refrigerants is finally here. Midea’s R290 portfolio keeps expanding. Their range of residential ACs and heat pumps as well as commercial units show that the technology is mature and scalable. Midea is driving the shift to R290 as the de facto natural refrigerant for a healthier planet.
Midea: https://www.midea.com/global
(1) The data is calculated by Midea based on the sales volume of each R290 product sold during the period from January 2018 to December 2025 and the carbon avoided reduction of refrigerant per unit. Carbon reduction of refrigerant per unit = (GWP of refrigerant before R290 replacement x the refrigerant charge of product before replacement – GWP of R290 refrigerant x the charge of R290)
(2) Euromonitor International (Shanghai) Ltd. measured in terms of sales volume of R290 air conditioners (including OEM brands(2022-2024 data, based on research completed in Aug 2025. R290 air conditioners refer to air conditioner using propane refrigerants, including residential and commercial air conditioner.
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