NATURE-FRIENDLY REFRIGERATION ALTERNATIVES

Thinking Green is the philosophy of FREOR company. We are exerting efforts to manufacture products with the minimum effect on nature; therefore, we are making significant investments into alternative refrigeration solutions to replace widely used F-gas refrigerants and improve the energy consumption of our products.

Following the idea, all commercial refrigeration equipment manufactured by FREOR can operate on sustainable and energy-efficient refrigerants such as natural propane (R290) gas or CO₂ (R744) refrigerant, qualifying it as environmentally friendly Green Wave refrigeration equipment.

EXPLORE FREOR PRODUCT RANGE ►►

Green Wave R290

Green Wave R290 – advanced plug-in commercial refrigeration equipment that uses environmentally-friendly propane (R290) gas as the refrigerant. R290 is a natural refrigerant that does not affect the ozone layer, and if emitted to the environment does not represent any harm; furthermore, it has excellent cold transmission properties.

Impact on the environment

• Natural refrigerant
• Non-toxic
• Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) = 0
• Global Warming Potential (GWP) = 3

Energy consumption

• Up to 30 % more energy efficient compared with the HFC system.
• The system operates in the regime dependent on outdoor temperature, making it easier to ensure optimum electricity consumption.
• Operating under low pressures.

Investment costs

• The propane system is cheaper than a CO₂ system.
• No need for a particular room for a compressor unit, thus saving the shop area, while the room for pumping equipment is not subject to any special criteria.

Maintenance and service

• Lower operating costs as HFC mandatory system inspections and pollution taxes are avoided.
• Everything is mounted in the factory, thus eliminating the need for specialists – refrigeration experts for assembling or maintaining a refrigeration system.

Green Wave CO₂

Green Wave CO₂ – remote commercial refrigeration equipment adapted to operate on CO₂ (R744) refrigerant in the central refrigeration system. R744 is an environmentally-sustainable refrigerant with no effect on global warming in case of leakage and is suitable for use in refrigeration systems working under mild and cold climate conditions.

Impact on the environment

• Natural refrigerant
• Non-toxic
• Non-flammable
• Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) = 0
• Global Warming Potential (GWP) = 1

Energy consumption

• Improves energy consumption by up to 10% under mild or cold climate conditions (max 15 °C average annual temperature) compared with the HFC system.
• All system components are mounted in one room, giving refrigeration equipment more storage space.

Investment costs

• CO₂ refrigerant is cheaper than HFC.
• System components are costly, but the project repays in 3–5 years in cold and medium climate countries.

Maintenance and service

• Lower operating costs as HFC mandatory system inspections and pollution taxes are avoided.
• The popularity of the system is growing, and an increasing number of service companies use it – the number of competent engineers and technicians certified to work with CO₂ (R744 system) is rising.

WHY CHOOSE GREEN REFRIGERATION?

Fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) are widely used as refrigerants in commercial refrigeration. F-gases are powerful greenhouse gases that trap heat into the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) have become the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions globally.

Responsible institutions across the world are taking actions to cut HFC usage in commercial refrigeration by:

• Introducing legislative measures to reduce HFC emissions (pls see below).
• Putting strict regulations on the maintenance of HFC-based commercial refrigeration systems and equipment.
• Emphasizing the benefits of alternative natural refrigerants (R290, R600a, R717, R744, air, and water).
• Giving preferences for retailers willing to choose green refrigeration solutions.

REGULATIONS

Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol

The Kigali Amendment adds to the Montreal Protocol the phase-down of the production and consumption of HFCs.

READ THE DOCUMENT ►►

Kigali Amendment of October 2016 aims for the phase-down of HFCs by cutting down their production and consumption. These mitigation measures are part of the realization of commitments made under the Paris Agreement. The goal is to achieve over 80 % reduction in HFC consumption by 2047. The impact of the amendment will avoid up to 0.5 °C increase in global temperature by 2100.

Under the amendment, all ratified countries will gradually phase down HFCs and replace them with more environmentally friendly alternatives. A specified group of developed countries, such as the EU, the United States, and Canada, will begin the phase-down in 2019. Several developing countries, including China, Brazil, India, and many African countries, will freeze HFC consumption levels by either 2024 or 2028.

EU F-gas Phasedown Regulation

To control emissions from fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases), including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the European Union has adopted the F-gas Regulation.

READ THE DOCUMENT ►►

As one of the most important preventive measures of climate change mitigation is the EU F-gas Regulation No 517 /2014. It aims to limit the consumption of HFCs by 79% by 2030 in the EU countries.

From January 1st, 2020, using HFCs with a GWP (global warming potential) of 2500 and over to service or maintain refrigeration equipment with a charge size of 40 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent or above as well as placing new equipment on the market that contains HFCs with GWP of 2,500 or more was prohibited. Only recycled refrigerants with a GWP of 2,500 or more are allowed for servicing until 2030. In many countries, the ban on HFCs exceeding the ceiling GWP values in repairs and maintenance would mean that 95–100% of refrigeration equipment used in the shops has to be replaced with alternatives or adapted for using a different refrigerant.

In the second stage, which started on January 1st, 2022, placing new refrigeration equipment on the market and multipack centralized refrigeration systems for commercial use with a rated capacity of 40KW or more that contains HFCs with a GWP of 150 were prohibited. The primary refrigerant circuit of cascade systems with fluorinated greenhouse gases with a GWP of less than 1500 may be used as an exception.

In the third stage, which will start in 2030, recycled and reclaimed HFCs with a GWP > 2,500 used for service or maintenance purposes will be prohibited.

FREOR – YOUR REFRIGERATION SOLUTION PARTNER

In the light of legislation affecting the market, FREOR recommends that your company would consider the transition to a low GWP replacement refrigerant.

FREOR was among the first in the world to develop propane (R290) refrigeration technology for the use in large commercial refrigeration equipment in 2015, which complies with the safety standards EN 378 and IEC 60335-2-89. The latter now enables to increase of R290 refrigerant charge limit from 150-gram to maximum 500-gram of gas per closed cycle.

FREOR Green Wave R290 technology and CO₂ operated refrigeration equipment is an ecologically safe future-proof solution. Natural refrigerants are not subject to any legislative requirements under the global HFC phase-down, including the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and the EU F-Gas Regulation.

FREOR – your solution partner in the challenge of climate change!