GEA Refrigeration Technologies goes for natural refrigerants

Looking into the future GEA Refrigeration Technologies has translated predicted policy developments advocating for the phase-out of f-gases into its corporate strategy for sustainability. The company has therefore decided to develop future products using environmentally friendly refrigerants, such as ammonia and CO₂.

 

Danny Heuvelmans, director of product management, sales and marketing at GEA’s technology center piston compressors – GEA Refrigeration Netherlands, during an interview with FoodProductionDaily after the launch of the new GEA Grasso V series piston compressors, discussed the reason why the V series is made compatible only with ammonia. He also announced that in line with the company’s sustainability strategy, GEA’s factory in the Dutch Den Bosch is going to employ only natural refrigerants.

 

 

Heuvelmans argued that GEA Refrigeration Technologies long ago made a commitment to natural refrigerants while recognising the risks involved, since most of its competitors still use high GWP HFCs. However, he acknowledged that the phase-out of these f-gases is becoming more of an issue and continued by explaining that although employing HFCs might be the easy option for the present, their imminent phase-out renders them an unsustainable long-term solution for GEA Refrigeration Technologies.  According to Heuvelmans, GEA Refrigeration Technologies’s natural refrigerant focused strategy is one step ahead of competing strategies, which will eventually have to be changed following policy developments.

 

 

The GEA Grasso V series for reciprocating compressors aims to increase energy efficiency and reduce the total cost of ownership while maintaining a high level of reliability. The V series operates exclusively with the use of ammonia. Heuvelmans explained that the reason for this is twofold:
 

 

 

However, Heuvelmans raises the issue of ammonia safety from an installation standpoint. Although ammonia and CO₂ are both naturally occurring compounds, their high concentration in a condensed environment can pose a number of threats. Based on this, Heuvelmans urges installers to take all necessary safety precautions so as to avoid potential ammonia leakages.

 

 

GEA Refrigertion Netherlands N.V., part of GEA Refrigeration Technologies, is a leading compressor manufacturer with over 150 years of experience in industrial refrigeration. The company goes beyond developing products of the highest quality by making a formal commitment to product reliability and optimal aftersales support. GEA Refrigeration Netherlands has developed a range of piston and screw compressor series that operate exclusively with the use of natural refrigerants, CO₂ and NH₃.

 

GEA Refrigeration Technologies, part of the internationally active GEA Group, has been a leader in industrial refrigeration technology since the end of the 19th century. Its business is predominantly focused in processes cooling of the food and beverage sector, as well as in the pharmaceutical and transport sectors.