Carrier Transicold to offer R452A in the US
16th December 2020
USA: Carrier Transicold has begun offering North America’s refrigerated hauliers the lower GWP refrigerant R452A as an option for R404A in new and existing equipment.
Starting in the first quarter of next year, purchasers in North America will be able to specify R452A on all Carrier Transicold trailer and diesel truck equipment orders.
The refrigerant, which has been available to Carrier Transicold customers in Europe since 2015, still has a relatively high GWP of 2140, but that is an improvement on R404A which has a GWP of 3922. It also offers the benefit of being able to be retrofitted to existing equipment.
Bill Maddox, senior manager, Carrier Transicold product management, said: “We are offering it for fleets that want to improve their environmental profiles and to prepare for compliance with evolving regulations.”
The California Air Resource Board (CARB) has proposed prohibiting high GWP refrigerants on new transport refrigeration equipment starting in 2022. Additionally, Canada has banned high GWP refrigerants for new transport refrigeration starting in 2025.
Carrier Transicold units already in service can easily take advantage of R452A, the company says. For Carrier units with an electronic expansion valve, converting requires only an operating software update. On Carrier Transicold truck units and older trailer units that use a mechanical expansion valve, the valve will require a manual adjustment or replacement, depending on the model.
Maddox admitted that refrigerant cost may be a factor for some fleets as R452A is currently three to four times more expensive than R404A.
“Still, haulers should start to consider when transitioning to a lower GWP refrigerant will make the most sense for their fleets,” Maddox said. “While the EPA permits continued use of R404A, the proposed 2022 California changes may ultimately drive use of R452A as a de facto national standard, due to the large volume of refrigerated traffic that moves into that state.”
Meanwhile, as the USA prepares to adopt a refrigerant which has been available in Europe for the last five years, Carrier Transicold Europe is looking to move away from R452A to a lower GWP alternative.
Carrier Transicold Europe is reported to have been working with refrigerant manufacturer Chemours on the use of “mildly flammable A2L refrigerants in its transport refrigeration systems. Chemours Opteon XL refrigerants R454C and R454A have been considered as potential alternatives in new equipment. R454C has a GWP of 146 and R454A is higher at 238.
Related stories:
Chemours works with Carrier on long-term refrigerant options – 7 May 2019
USA: Chemours says it is working with Carrier Transicold in Europe to adopt one of its long-term low GWP alternatives for transport refrigeration. Read more…
Carrier Transicold announces R452A option – 14 April 2015
UK: Carrier Transicold is the latest major transport refrigeration company to offer R452A as an optional alternative to R404A. Read more…
