Leading CO2 equipment manufacturer Green & Cool supplied the unit with partner Friginor, who were responsible for specifying and installing the system at the Quality Hotel & Resort in Lapland.
With a population of less than 10,000 and three other Green & Cool CO2 systems already installed in nearby supermarkets, Gällivare is now believed to hold the world record for the highest density of CO2 refrigeration installations per capita.
“We had already installed CO2 refrigeration units from Green & Cool in three supermarkets in the area, and it would not surprise me if Gällivare now holds the world record for the highest density of CO2 refrigeration per capita,” said Friginor’s CEO Tomas Tavér.
The company chose Green & Cool’s Crystal refrigeration and freezer unit to cater its 21 refrigerated cabinets and counters, as well as nine refrigeration and freezing rooms.
“The unit provides refrigeration for a total of 21 refrigerated counters and cabinets, plus nine refrigeration and freezing rooms. As far as we know this is now one of the largest catering kitchens in Sweden to use environmentally friendly CO2 as the refrigerant,” said Tavér.
The 174-room hotel caters for conference delegates and holidaymakers and contains a restaurant capable of seating up to 500 guests.
The Crystal unit has three refrigeration and three freezer compressors, as well as:
- Cooling capacity of 19 kW at an evaporation temperature of -8°C
- Freezing capacity of 19 kW at an evaporation temperature of -32°C
- Heat recovery exchanger for hot water production
- Outdoor gas cooler
To save on space, Friginor prefabricated a machine room and installed the gas cooler vertically on the wall of this room to protect it from the region’s harsh snowdrifts.
Gällivare is a sleepy town cited for its remarkably high incidence of congenital insensitivity to pain, an extremely rare disease that inhibits the sensation of pain, heat and cold, however it now has another claim to fame.
But it’s not the first groundbreaking project Green & Cool has worked on, either. Last year, after the roof caved in on the local ice arena in the small Swedish town of Gimo, Green & Cool transformed the facility to become the first ice rink in Europe to house a CO2 transcritical system.