GEA Australia: Lifecycle costs driving end users to NatRefs

At ARBS 2018 in Sydney on 8 May, Greg Clements, head of compression sales at GEA Australia, said end users' increasing focus on total cost of ownership is triggering more demand for ammonia-based industrial refrigeration systems.

"With the trend towards natural refrigerant systems, the need for compressors – both screw and reciprocating models for natural refrigerants – has definitely increased over the last five years. There is no doubt about it," Clements said.

Compressors used for industrial applications using NH₃ as a refrigerant were on display at GEA's booth.

"The trend we see more and more, in particular over the last two years, is not just focusing on the compressor but focusing on a compression solution that includes whole of life. When we say whole of life, it's not just spare parts, it's about energy consumption."

As more end users begin to focus on the full lifecycle costs of their refrigeration systems, Clements explained that awareness of the need to move away from synthetic refrigerants was contributing to demand for GEA's ammonia systems.

"They are future proofing themselves from a perspective of having an energy-conscious solution. But from a natural refrigerants perspective, they've got a refrigerant that they don't have to worry about – in two years or three years or four years, is that refrigerant going to be outlawed or does it need to be updated? They don't have [that worry]," he said. "They are future-proofed."

Clements argued that this makes it easier to present the business case for natural refrigerant-based systems.

"They can go to their accountants in their business and say, 'I need this much money, this is the solution I'm going to have, but I'm right for 15 years."

The V reciprocating compressor series from GEA features electronically-controlled service intervals, which increase energy efficiency and reduce the total cost of ownership for end users.

The Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Building Services Exhibition is taking place at the ICC in Sydney's Darling Harbour from 8-10 May.