Conyers, Ga.-based Hillphoenix’s industrial division recently supplied a transcritical CO2 booster system to one of the leading fruit processing companies in Peru, bringing to seven the number of its natural refrigerant projects in Latin America, including four transcritical CO2 installations.
Friopacking – an engineering and construction company specializing in food processing plants – was in charge of the installation, which took place in the city of Trujillo. The fruit-processing operator could not be identified without its permission.
The transcritical system serves 1,750 m2 (18,837 ft2) of refrigerated storage, with a low-temperature capacity of 54 TR (190 kW), and a medium-temperature capacity of 21 TR (74 kW). The control package keeps the system’s COP at maximum levels at all times.
“[The system] is very similar to a traditional HFC system – a common type of technology in this region – in terms of operation and maintenance,”
Mauricio Baena, Hillphoenix’s sales manager industrial in South America.
With this solution, the end user continues with its policy of using natural refrigerants – a decision that was taken three years ago – to comply with international standards, and reduce the use of other refrigerants.
Including this project, Hillphoenix’s industrial division has natural refrigerant installations in Mexico (2), Nicaragua (1), Costa Rica (2), Colombia (1), and Peru (1). Four of these installations feature CO2 transcritical systems. The installation in Nicaragua for a distribution center shows that CO2 can be an optimal solution even in hot climates. At temperatures of 36 °C (96.8 °F), the system operates at 98 TR (345 kW) serving an area of 1728 m2 (18,600 ft2) and is 10.5% more efficient than a traditional HFC system according to Hillphoenix.
