ASDA trial success with R404A replacement
14th July 2016
BELGIUM: R448A, the lower GWP replacement refrigerants for R404A, is said to have successfully completed trials at UK supermarket group ASDA.
The 14-month trial in existing R404A systems is said to have shown system energy savings of more than 10%.
R448A, which is marketed by Honeywell as Solstice N40, is one of a number of alternatives to R404A, which is due to be phased out in Europe due to its high GWP of 3922.
Only minimal adjustments were said to have been needed to adapt the R448A in existing R404A systems and all operating conditions, such as discharge temperatures, were well within the strict demands of compressor manufacturers.
“The ASDA trials proved to us that Honeywell’s new refrigerant can help us save money on energy while also reducing ASDA’s carbon footprint,” said Brian Churchyard, senior manager – construction, model and lifecycle at ASDA.
R448A is a nonflammable, non-ozone-depleting HFO blend for low and medium-temperature refrigeration equipment including supermarket chillers, frozen food cases, cold rooms and blast freezers. It is designed to replace R22, R507 and R404A for both new equipment and retrofits.
With a reduced GWP 1387, R448A comprises the HFCs R32 (26%), R125 (26%) and R134a (21%), and HFO components R1234yf (20%) and 1234ze(E) (7%).
Julien Soulet, managing director for Honeywell Fluorine Products in Europe, Middle East, Africa and India, said that R407F, a gas sold by Honeywell as Genetron Performax LT, continues to lead the way as the most successful reduced GWP alternative to R404A in supermarkets but added: “With even lower GWP and similar performance, we fully expect Solstice N40 demand will continue to grow and even exceed its level of adoption in the coming years.”
Honeywell points out that in the EU, both Solstice N40 and R407F can be used to retrofit systems placed on the market before 2022 and service is available for an indefinite time. Solstice N40 can be used in new commercial installations below 40kW and in all industrial installations after 2022.
