GEA Refrigeration Technologies is already seeing an increase in demand for ammonia chillers since the refrigerant levy was introduced on July 1, 2012.
Although it is still early days, GEA managing director Tony Kimpton says the impact of the levy is already being felt right across industry. “This is a success story,” he says.
Ammonia chillers are similar to other chillers, the only difference is the refrigerant contained inside.
“They use refrigeration for chilling water, or for chilling any other secondary refrigerant liquid,” Kimpton says. “They are mainly used in process cooling and cold storage but can also be used for air conditioning.
“The only difference is the type of refrigerant; ammonia chillers operate with ammonia refrigerant which is not subjected to any refrigerant tax.”
Because ammonia is a more efficient refrigerant than synthetic refrigerants, Kimpton says it can be used to produce very efficient cooling systems.
GEA’s ammonia chillers use low volumes of refrigerant gas and utilise durable industrial refrigeration components to ensure a system with a very long life.
These chillers can come as air cooled, water cooled or without a condenser for application with an evaporative condenser or some other hybrid condenser variety.
Kimpton says the majority of these chillers are sold as water cooled.
“In this way, the connection required on site is simply the pumps and pipe work required for chilled liquid and cooling water, and a connection for power. The ammonia system itself is already complete and potentially factory tested.
“The small volume of ammonia is contained in a plant room or area remote from untrained personnel.”
GEA is one of the largest producers of refrigeration equipment in the world. Well known compressor brands such as Grasso and Bock form part of GEA’s portfolio, covering applications as small as truck and bus cooling through to ice cream production and dairy process cooling.
As well as ammonia chillers and compressors, GEA also produces a number of other refrigeration components.
Kimpton says these compressors and components are designed for use with most synthetic refrigerants as well as for natural refrigerants such as ammonia and carbon dioxide.
“Since the refrigerant levy was introduced we have seen a definite change in the market,” he says. “There is an increased requirement for smaller capacity equipment (<200 kW) for use with ammonia and CO2 refrigerants.
“Where in the past, the market preferred plants using synthetic refrigerants for smaller capacity plants, the refrigerant tax has change the market in the direction of natural refrigerants.
“This shift has been no more pronounced than in the area of ammonia chillers in which the inquiry level has increased by 500 per cent compared to last year.”
Kimpton believes the levy, together with funding available for various energy efficiency programs, has created opportunities for the cooling industry.
He says the levy aims to reduce the leakage of synthetic refrigerants and increase the uptake of alternative technology.
“Those that can provide a service that can help achieve either of those goals are likely to benefit. As the trend in cooling system design moves in the direction of natural refrigerants, those willing to adapt are taking advantage.”
GEA's Tony Kimpton
