Centralny Ośrodek Chłodnictwa „COCH” w Krakowie
The only R&D institution in Poland specialising in refrigeration machinery, equipment and installations - continuously since 1946, with professional staff and fully equipped laboratories.
1946
Founded
AB 308
Laboratory PCA
AC 036 · 056
Certification PCA
25+
Training courses
The Central Refrigeration Centre COCH is Poland's only specialised refrigeration R&D institution, founded in 1946 in Kraków. It holds four PCA accreditations (AB 308, AC 036, AC 056, AK 044) and is an EU Notified Body no. 1462 under PED 2014/68/EU - covering testing, product and personnel certification, training, and inspection.
We conduct scientific research, development and commercial work on the efficiency of refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment and their components for businesses. We also certify this equipment for quality and CE conformity assessment for safety. For many years we have also offered a range of specialist training courses, after which participants acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to work with refrigeration equipment and modern methods of installation and maintenance of thermal equipment (including photovoltaics).
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Our statutory tasks
Conducting scientific research and development work in the field of refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps and transferring their results to industry, with particular emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises.
Undertaking activities to improve research and development methodologies.
Carrying out supplementary activities, particularly in the field of training and disseminating scientific and technical information in the field of refrigeration, air conditioning, use of unconventional energy sources and the environment.
Developing analyses and assessments of the state and development of the above-mentioned fields of science and technology, as well as proposals for the use of world science and technology achievements in Poland.
Organisational structure
The organisational structure of the Central Refrigeration Centre "COCH" currently includes the following departments:
Refrigeration Equipment Laboratory
Certification Department
Inspection Department
Training Department
Technical Approvals Department
Finance & Accounting Department
Administration & HR Department
Maintenance Department
Advisory & oversight bodies
Technical Council
Product Certification Management Board
Personnel Certification Management Board
Technical Committee for Product Certification
Technical Committee for Personnel Certification
Technical Approvals Commission
Independent positions: consultants
Recognised by Polish and European authorities
What accreditations does COCH hold?
We offer a wide range of services in the field of refrigeration, similar to institutions such as CEMAFROID in France or TÜV in Germany. As the "COCH" Central Refrigeration Centre, we hold numerous accreditations and authorisations, including:
Accredited Testing Laboratory
PCA accredited laboratory (no. AB308) for testing refrigeration equipment, air conditioners, heat pumps and others.
Product Certification Accreditation
PCA accreditation for the Product Certification Department (no. AC036) for refrigeration and air conditioning equipment.
Personnel Certification Accreditation
PCA accreditation for the Personnel Certification Department (no. AC056) in the field of refrigeration.
Accredited Inspection Body
PCA accredited inspection body (no. AK044) for conformity assessment and inspection of pressure equipment.
Notified Body – PED 2014/68/EU
Notification by the European Commission in accordance with the PED 2014/68/EU pressure equipment directive.
ATP & KEYMARK Authorisation
Authorisations to conduct tests under the ATP Agreement and to award the European KEYMARK mark for heat pumps.
UDT Accreditations & Training Status
UDT accreditations for training in heat pumps, photovoltaics and greenhouse gases. F-Gas Assessment Unit status. Registered Training Institution (RIS).
Active membership in the Polish Committee for Standardisation, committee KT-5 for Refrigeration, Heat Pumps, Air Conditioners and Compressors. Our activity is based on high quality standards and a wide range of competences, providing comprehensive services in the refrigeration industry.
Nearly 80 years of refrigeration expertise
How long has COCH been in operation?
The traditions of the Central Refrigeration Centre date back to 1946, when the Central Office for Chemical Apparatus and Refrigeration Equipment CEBEA was established in Kraków. For the next several decades, refrigeration was continuously carried out in Kraków, albeit in various organisational forms. A significant moment was the establishment in November 1960 – from the separated Refrigeration Equipment Department of CEBEA – of an independent unit named Centralny Ośrodek Chłodnictwa COCH.
Temporarily in 1975, COCH was administratively merged with CEBEA, only to regain full independence in 1990 as a Research and Development Centre. Over its many years of existence, the scope of the Centre's activities, which began in 1946 with design and engineering work, has expanded and now includes scientific, research and development work, as well as model and pilot testing of new generations of machines and equipment for refrigeration, heat pumps and air conditioners.
In the experimental workshop, prototype constructions of machines and equipment are realised, with particular emphasis on small-scale freezing tunnels, specialised variable-temperature and low-temperature research chambers, test stands, etc. With modern equipment, highly qualified staff and many years of experience, COCH is perfectly prepared to solve the most complex problems in Polish refrigeration. COCH constantly cooperates with academic centres, research and industrial organisations, including international ones such as the International Institute of Refrigeration.
Establishment of CEBEA – Central Office for Chemical Apparatus and Refrigeration Equipment in Kraków.
November: separation of the independent unit "Centralny Ośrodek Chłodnictwa COCH".
Construction of the new headquarters at ul. Lea 116 (arch. Stanisław Ćwiżewicz). Mosaic by Andrzej Rohacki.
Temporary administrative merger with CEBEA.
Regaining full independence as a Research and Development Centre.
Registration as Centralny Ośrodek Chłodnictwa „COCH” w Krakowie Sp. z o.o.
The only specialised refrigeration institution in Poland - PCA accreditation, EU notified body, 25+ training courses.
The Building & the mosaic
The building at ul. Lea 116, designed by Stanisław Ćwiżewicz and completed in 1962–1965, is best known for the three-dimensional ceramic mosaic covering its façade. It was created in 1965 by Zakopane sculptor and ceramicist Andrzej Rohacki (1929–2012) together with his team - a graduate of the Graphics Faculty of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (1955), known for combining natural wood with coloured ceramic enamel and for motifs drawn from the folklore of the Tatra highlands, his works typically signed with an "AR" monogram and a sun symbol. Metal elements are worked into the ceramic structure, forming the COCH abbreviation and a Mollier diagram (log p–h) - a symbolic bridge between art and the engineering work carried out inside.
Photo: Emka57, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Archive photos
References and letters of thanks from our clients
We work with passion, meet challenges and develop the field of refrigeration in Poland.
PEC TERMOWAD Wadowice
Koleje Małopolskie
INOAC
Termodynamika Dębica – Rafał Borek
Rosco PIM Sp. z o.o.
MPEC Dębica
Kraków District Labor Office
Viessmann
Orange
Inergis
Fast Group
Sun Pro
Ministry of Infrastructure
Ventix
Tempcold
Rzeszów Police Headquarters
Mega-Rem Sp. z o.o.
EDF Fenice
Herma
PGNiG
ArcelorMittal
Elektroserwis S.C.
Retail Robotics
Volkswagen
Ostrów Secondary School
PCKZiU Vocational Training Center
AGH University Kraków
EWT
Kraków District Labor Office
ETS – Easy Transport Solutions
Impel Synergies
Frequently asked questions about COCH
What is the Central Refrigeration Centre COCH?
What accreditations does COCH hold?
What training courses does COCH offer?
What is the KEYMARK certificate for heat pumps and how does COCH issue it?
What is ISO 22712 personnel certification and what does COCH offer?
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