At Grupo Bimbo, which operates over 200 bakery processing plants across 34 countries, natural refrigerants represent over 60% of the total refrigerant charge, and more than 10% of its sites are fully running natural refrigerant technologies, with an additional 10% to be added by the end of 2023.
That update was provided by Francisco Picazo, Global Engineering Project Manager for Mexico City-based Grupo Bimbo, during his presentation at the ATMOsphere (ATMO) America Summit 2023 on natural refrigerants. The conference took place June 12–13 in Washington, D.C., and was organized by ATMOsphere, publisher of R744.com.
Driven by its vision to redefine the baking industry’s impact on the environment, Grupo Bimbo has unveiled an ambitious sustainability plan that targets net-zero emissions by 2050, said Picazo. The central pivot is a transition from high-impact refrigerants to more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Grupo Bimbo uses different natural refrigerant technologies across its global operations. For chillers, which are common features in its bakeries, the company is implementing CO2 (R744) and propane (R290)-based systems. In the freezing part of its operation, it is adopting CO2 and CO2/ammonia (R717) cascade systems. This approach enables Grupo Bimbo to optimize the use of natural refrigerants across diverse applications, noted Picazo.
Better efficiency with NatRefs
The baking industry’s reliance on HFCs and ozone-layer-depleting HCFCs, known for their GWPs, has been a long-standing environmental concern. Recognizing the urgent need for change, Grupo Bimbo launched an ambitious plan in 2019 to transition towards natural refrigerants.
“Grupo Bimbo has found that their natural refrigerant system is 15–30% more efficient than a traditional system,” said Picazo.
The company primarily focuses on its production centers, with an emphasis on systems that use over 50lbs (23kg) of refrigerants. Last year was historic for the company due to the rapid expansion and commissioning of numerous systems, including the first-ever 100% natural refrigerant system for a fresh bakery center in Peru. “This was a major achievement, particularly for the fresh product segment of their business,” said Picazo. It has since been replicated in Costa Rica and the U.S.
By the end of this year, Grupo Bimbo anticipates new natural refrigerant systems to be commissioned in Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala and several other locations.
In regions like Latin America, Grupo Bimbo has forged partnerships with OEMs, such as Advansor, paving the way to implement natural refrigerants more widely.
Advansor has assisted Grupo Bimbo in identifying local contractors. New contractors undergo training and certification to install, commission and maintain natural refrigerant systems at Grupo Bimbo’s production centers. This ensures that support is readily available and nearby for Grupo Bimbo’s engineering and maintenance managers.
“OEMs and contractors should work together, opening their minds and operations to each other,” said Picazo.” Together, they can provide integrated and sustainable solutions to end users.
Challenges ahead
Despite the urgent need for change, the road to natural refrigerants is not smooth. Many challenges hinder progress, including the need to alter management practices, the perceived complexity of maintenance and high initial investment costs.
Further complications include the lack of familiarity among contractors with natural refrigeration systems and the absence of clear legislation to enforce change. This gives rise to safety and efficiency concerns, affecting the widespread acceptance of natural refrigerants.
In North America, “legislation concerning natural refrigerants is a key challenge because of the different rules in every state,” said Picazo. “Hence, it has been difficult to find a global and one-step solution.”
However, he added, “when designed and managed correctly, these systems are not just the same and efficient, but are also a future-proof investment. After all, the future of our planet is the most valuable investment we can make.”
“OEMs and contractors should work together, opening their minds and operations to each other. Together, they can provide integrated and sustainable solutions to end users.”
Francisco Picazo, Global Engineering Project Manager for Mexico City-based Grupo Bimbo
