The multipass heat exchanger is the most common type of heat transfer equipment used in heat exchanger networks (HENs) by the chemical process industries. There are many methods that have been proposed for the synthesis of HENs with multipass heat exchangers, which are mostly derived from the FT design method. In this paper, an alternative new method to synthesis multipass HENs is presented based on the classical pinch technology. In the multipass heat exchanger, both countercurrent and co-current flow are involved. For the co-current flow, composite curves and problem tables are modified, and compared with that of the countercurrent flow. A proper minimum temperature difference is also selected considering the energy-capital cost trade-offs, and then a multipass HEN is synthesized. Results of the case study demonstrate that the new approach meets operating requirements and minimizes the total cost successfully. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.