Beijer Ref to build new €10m CO2 refrigeration facility

ITALY: Swedish wholesaler Beijer Ref is set to double the size of its SCM Frigo CO2 refrigeration equipment manufacturing plant in Padua with a new €10m facility.

SCM Frigo has become one of Beijer Ref’s fastest growing subsidiaries, driven by demand for environmentally friendly refrigeration as a result of the European F-gas regulation and a general green trend.

The new factory, on a site close to the current 6,500m² facility, will comprise a 10,200m² factory and warehouse and 2,500m² of offices. It will also house the Beijer Ref Academy training centre. 

Construction will begin in the fall of 2019 and the plant is expected to be completed by the end of the fourth quarter of 2020. 

Beijer Ref CEO Per Bertland sees no let-up in the demand for alternative environmental technologies. “Due to the European F-gas regulation, we expect the market for environmentally friendly refrigeration systems to continue to be strong over the next five to ten years. The transition to green technology has just begun and so far, an estimated 15-20% of retailers in Europe have converted to chillers that are adapted to the new regulation. With the new plant, we ensure that Beijer Ref can meet the increased demand of the market.”

Established in 1979, SCM Frigo was acquired by Beijer Ref in 2011, along with its sister companies Starcold srl and Geodata ACS srl. The business proved to be so successful that similar units were created in Sweden and France. Together with similar establishments in the Netherlands, Thailand, South Africa, China and Australia, these represent the Beijer Ref group’s OEM business.