Panasonic is unveiling its first CO2 transcritical rack this week, broadening its offer in an increasingly competitive global market for larger capacity CO2-based HVAC&R systems.
The rack, on display at China Refrigeration 2018 in Beijing, was assembled in Europe and designed by Panasonic Appliances Refrigeration System (Dalian) Co., Ltd. (PAPRSDL).
It has already been sold to a domestic Chinese retailer and will be installed in a Beijing supermarket this summer, Li Li Du – PAPRSDL’s overseas sales director – told R744.com at the Bingshan Group’s China Refrigeration booth (where the rack is being exhibited).
PAPRSDL, a joint venture between Japan’s Panasonic Corporation and China’s Bingshan Group – one of the country’s largest manufacturers of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment –, was established in July 2016.
Du expects PAPRSDL to install more such systems in China in the coming years.
“We plan to sell more CO2 transcritical racks, to more customers,” Du said, citing cold storage operators as potential clients alongside retailers. The company is targeting customers elsewhere in Asia too, she added.
Eliwell provides the system controls for the rack on display in Beijing, and Dorin supplies the compressors.
Tackling the training challenge
Du identified availability of system components, training and maintenance among the biggest challenges facing the Chinese market as it moves towards wider adoption of natural refrigerant technology.
“We’ll provide complete training and maintenance for the customer,” she said.
PAPRSDL has put in place monitoring systems for this unit. In addition to the Eliwell controls, it hooks up to Panasonic’s own remote monitoring system.
“Panasonic definitely have the expertise to grow into this field here in China.”
Giacomo Pisano, Dorin
Giacomo Pisano, technical sales manager at the system’s compressor provider Dorin, said improving training on natural refrigerants among local contractors and maintenance staff would be crucially important in triggering their wider uptake in China.
“Without proper training for contractors, the future may still prove challenging,” Pisano said. “But Panasonic definitely have the expertise to grow into this field here in China,” he said.
PAPRSDL will support the end user during and after the installation of the new system.
China Refrigeration is China’s leading HVAC&R tradeshow, and is taking place at the New China International Exhibition Center in Beijing from 9-11 April.
