Midea has officially reached the milestone of 10 million units in global sales for its R290 air conditioners.
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).
This impressive sales figure (covers the period January 2018 to December 2025) is a clear tipping point in the industry. It is not a passing trend, it is the new standard, the company said in a statement.
“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,” the statement said.
“The positive impact so far is incredible. Approximately 5.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions have been avoided.”
Widespread adoption of R290 faced some technical challenges. Midea invested heavily in 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.
Midea’s strategy to accelerate the adoption of R290 in Europe, is to pair the technology with localised 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,” the statement said.
“As the European HVAC sector navigates the complex landscape of regulatory changes and decarbonisation 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.”