Demonstration projects using natural refrigerants

Demonstration projects are operating refrigeration systems that:

• use ozone- and climate-safe substances and technologies;
• are installed at an operational facility of any purpose;
• have energy efficiency confirmed by calculations;
• have online controls;
• can be visited and used at workshops and training courses.

Demonstration projects are aimed at proving authorities, businesses and communities that phase-out of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases and transition to natural refrigerants is an environmentally sound and energy-efficient solution.

Carbon dioxide demonstration project

A working model of a CO₂ refrigeration plant for a retail store is one of the demonstration projects implemented as part of the project on phase-out of HCFCs in the Russian Federation.

The project was implemented at a training and manufacturing facility of NORD-SM company (Moscow, TiNAO, Nastasino village). The plant is a full-size transcritical booster central plant using R-744 (carbon dioxide) where the operation of a refrigeration plant that serves working retail equipment can be studied.

The medium-temperature stage of the central refrigeration plant is fitted with three compressors (one of them, variable-speed type) and has a refrigeration capacity of 39.35 kW, and the low-temperature stage is fitted with a variable-speed compressor and has a refrigeration capacity of 6.61 kW.

The plant is also fitted with a gas cooler, low-temperature cooling chest, medium-temperature refrigerated display, plate heat exchanger with a heat recovery hydro kit, and monitoring system to control all the performance indicators in real-time mode. The monitoring systems allow measuring the change in power consumption in various work modes.

NORD-SM used the solutions that were developed and optimized for the demonstration project to develop the first Russian CO₂ refrigeration system for a retail food store.

Hydrocarbon refrigerant demonstration project

For the project on the development of the regional center of excellence in Armenia, the implementation of a demonstration project led to equipping a cold store for fruits and berries with an innovative R-290 (propane) secondary refrigeration system.

With the secondary refrigerant, the charge of the primary refrigerant was reduced as compared with direct evaporation systems.

The chilling plant (chiller) with the semi-hermetic reciprocating compressor cools the secondary refrigerant and then pumps it via polypropylene pipes to the air-cooler. The automation and control ensure optimal performance of the refrigeration system with all the operating conditions monitored via the monitoring system.

Conversion of enterprises under the Arctic council Project

The enterprises of the fishing industry of the Murmansk oblast the equipment of which has been converted to ozone- and climate-safe substances and technologies under the Arctic council Project are demonstration projects too.

The cascade systems (NH₃/CO₂) with the direct evaporation and secondary refrigerant circuits will be installed and become the demonstration projects for environmentally sound technologies suitable for the fishing industry of the Murmansk oblast and the entire Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.

Additional materials

• Conversion of commercial refrigeration equipment to ozone-safe refrigerants and foam agents (in Russian)
• 18.09.2019, Opening of the regional center of excellence in Yerevan (in Russian)
• 26.01.2016, Press conference “Russian refrigeration industry and global environmental agreements”
• First Russian freon-free grocery using ozone-safe refrigerant CO₂
• 24.11.2015, Workshop dedicated to the organization of production of carbon dioxide refrigeration equipment. Working model of a CO₂ refrigerating plant for a retail store
• Workshop dedicated to the demonstration project based on use of carbon dioxide (in Russian)
• Demonstration project of a CO₂ refrigerating plant for a retail store (in Russian)