TABLE OF CONTENTS - Everything R744

Global perspectives
the Food chain
FOOD PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, STORAGE
AND DISTRIBUTION
NH 3
: Ammonia systems are largely used in North America,
Northern Europe, and Central and Western Europe. It is
estimated that over 90% of the industrial refrigeration
and cold storage industry - together with CO 2
and
hydrocarbon refrigerants - use ammonia refrigeration
plants in developed countries, whereas the market share
in developing countries is 40%. In emerging economies
such as Asia and South America, the use of ammonia
is growing fast due to the rising demand for storage
of frozen foods, fruit, and vegetables. Ammonia is also
widely used in the Chinese, Indian, Thai, Indonesian,
Pilipino, and Mexican fishery industries.
NH 3
/CO 2
: Ammonia/carbon dioxide cascade refrigeration
systems are most widely used in Europe but are also
gaining popularity across the world. In 2012, a 200,000
ton seafood cold storage logistics center with a CO 2
/NH 3
cascade refrigeration system was built in Dalian, China.
CO 2
: R744-only refrigeration systems are used to a lesser
extent in the food storage and processing industries.
For example, transcritical CO 2
cooling and freezing
systems are used in the plant of Norwegian ice cream
manufacturer Diplom-Is. Overall, market share of CO 2
for industrial refrigeration is estimated to be 10% in
developed and 0% in developing countries; for heat
pumps it is 5% and 0%, respectively.
HC: Propane has been available for use in industrial
refrigeration and cooling applications, especially in
large chillers, for over 10 years. Outside North America,
installations of packaged air-cooled chillers adopting
the hydrocarbon refrigerant R1270 are used by fruit
growers in Ireland and the UK. However, market share
in industrial refrigeration remains low, estimated to be
about 0-2% worldwide. For industrial air-conditioning it
is approximately 10% for developed countries and 5%
for developing countries.
SUPERMARKETS
CO 2
: Across the world the commercial refrigeration sector
has experienced significant growth in the adoption of
CO 2
systems in the food retail sector. European retailers
are widely seen as the pioneers of this technology, with
more than 1,300 supermarkets confirmed as using CO 2
-
only transcritical systems in 2011.
CO 2
transcritical refrigeration systems for supermarkets
are also making inroads in Asia and Latin America. For
example Japan installed over 100 CO 2
stores and one of
the largest Japanese food retailers AEON is committed
to converting all 3,500 existing stores to natural
refrigerants. Tesco has installed three CO 2
transcritical
stores in China and one in Thailand. CO 2
cascade systems
are also being increasingly developed in emerging
and developing economies. In Brazil, there are 31 CO 2
cascade system installations across the country. Brazilian
retailer Verdemar is adopting CO 2
cascade refrigeration
systems as a standard in new stores.
Also commercially available in Europe, for supermarkets
and fishmongers, are CO 2
ice flake machines for filling
display counters.
AIR: At the end of November 2009, 6 units of Pascal Air, a
refrigeration plant that circulates air as a refrigerant, were
delivered to a refrigerated warehouse of Fukazawa Reizo
in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, for the purpose of
freezing bonito and tuna. The system is composed of
a turbo-type expander, a compressor, a primary cooler
and a heat recovery heat exchanger. The system directly
circulates ultra-low temperature air of -58°F to -148°F (–50
to –100ºC) in a refrigerated warehouse as refrigerant.
HC: In the UK and Germany retailers like Waitrose and Lidl
are also investing in propane refrigeration technology
for supermarket refrigeration systems. Several CO 2
/
propane hybrid systems were installed by UK retailer
Marks and Spencer as well. Meanwhile, in Thailand, Tesco
opened its first zero carbon store, featuring hydrocarbon
powered fridges.
CO 2
/NH 3
: Ammonia/carbon dioxide solutions are
estimated to have up to 5% market share in developed
countries. South African Pick and Pay supermarket
invested in this technology, replacing the conventional
centralized refrigeration system with an R744/R717
cascade system, a system more suitable for a hot climate
than R744 alone, which has lower thermal efficiencies at
high ambient temperatures.
Light Commercial Refrigeration
CO 2
/HC: Many international consumer brands have
started using natural refrigerants in their food and drink
service equipment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and energy consumption. Globally, by the end of 2012,
The Coca-Cola Company will have deployed 800,000
HFC-free units of cold drink equipment using CO 2
and
hydrocarbons; Red Bull 313,000 hydrocarbon beverage
coolers; and Unilever 1.2 million units of hydrocarbonbased
light-commercial equipment in every country of
operation.
In the light commercial sector, Italian and British display
cabinet manufacturers have developed CO 2
cabinets and
wine walls.
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