Food suply

With rapidly rising natural gas prices, a fast growing food processing industry, and the coming HFC phase-down, there is a very large opportunity for high-temperature heat pumps in Australia – including natural refrigerant-based systems – a recent report has found.

A municipal kitchen in Saint-Brieuc, Brittany, has been upgraded with a refrigeration system using a combination of the HFO R1234ze and R455A, a lower GWP alternative to R404A.

Danish company Advansor’s first CO₂ transcritical system in Australia yesterday began operating at a United Food Express warehouse in the Melbourne suburb of Keysborough.

Emerson announced it has launched propane-ready models for its Copeland M-Line condensing unit platform. The new models, which feature the latest Copeland reciprocating hermetic compressors, are designed to deliver up to 30% in energy savings.

Chinese retail chain Hong Fu Supermarkets has installed a CO₂ subcritical system at its flagship store located in the city of Hefei, Anhui province, in eastern China.

Yokohama Reito Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s leading food distribution and cold storage companies, has installed Mayekawa’s NewTon NH₃/CO₂ packaged refrigeration system at its most technologically advanced facility.

Just two months before next year’s major cut in HFC refrigerants, a survey of European retailers has revealed that 40% are not fully aware of the regulatory changes.

Italy-based CO₂ system supplier SCM Frigo has announced it will install a CO₂ transcritical system in a METRO Wholesale store in Beijing, China, by the end of this year. The system will be the first in China for both METRO AG and SCM Frigo.

Aldi is to convert all its UK stores to use CO₂ refrigeration, the German discount supermarket chain has announced.

The existing R404A refrigeration system of a Waitrose supermarket located in Holsworthy (UK) has been retrofitted with R449A refrigerant (HFO/HFC blend of R32, R125, R134a and R1234yf). R449A has a rather high GWP (1397) but significantly lower than R404A’s GWP (3922) and complies with EU F-gas Regulation requirements.

The retail trade fair EuroShop 2017 took place in Düsseldorf (Germany) in early March. A transcritical CO₂ refrigeration system was presented: entitled “Full Transcritical Efficiency” (FTE), it was launched by Epta.

Daikin America has announced the availability of test samples of new refrigerant blend R407H for OEMs and R404A and R22 retrofits in the United States.

Natural refrigerant systems supplied by Hillphoenix are said to have helped retailer Aldi achieve Platinum GreenChill certification in 32 US stores to date.

Whole Foods, Target, Hannaford Supermarkets and even the US Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) have ramped up their natref use.

Danish CO₂ refrigeration systems specialist Advansor has commenced production at its new factory in Poland – the first racks expected to be delivered at the end of this month.

Moves to revise US safety standards and allow the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in US domestic refrigerators have been welcomed by white goods manufacturer Electrolux.

Transcritical CO₂ systems are set to proliferate in the Australian commercial sector, according to food retailers, system suppliers and leading overseas manufacturers who attended ATMOsphere Australia last week.

Daikin is set to introduce three new models running on lower GWP refrigerant R32 to its Sky Air range of small to medium commercial air conditioners.

Using ammonia in a thermochemical system, the unit generates cold for seven hours off the grid for catering and other applications.

Organized by the UN Environment (UNEP), ASHRAE, the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), with the kind support of the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Department of Industrial Works, the Sustainable Management of Refrigeration Technologies in Marine and Off-Shore Fisheries Sectors Conference takes place April 6-8, 2017, in Bangkok, Thailand.