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Asia-Pacific // Technology
ROYAL DUTY FREE IS FIRST IN THE PHILIPPINES WITH ALL-R290 STORE
Growing interest in propane water-loop systems is driven by 25%-30% energy savings — By Devin Yoshimoto
In
August, Royal Duty Free — a Philippines-based chain of duty-free supermarkets — will retrofit one of its stores to use only R290 plug-in units combined with a water-loop system, according to a local refrigeration contractor, Cold Front Technologies Asia, Inc. The store is located in Subic Bay — a special economic zone a few hours' drive northwest of the Philippines’ capital city of Manila.
[Many stores] want something different, but are not interested in remote systems due to the difficulties with maintenance and other issues. ― Emilio Gonzalez La'O, Cold Front Technologies Asia
It will be "the first store in the country to use 100% R290-based refrigeration," according to Emilio Gonzalez La'O, Cold Front’s president. Royal Duty Free requested zero store downtime during installation – "which will be a challenge," said Gonzalez La'O – but is possible due to the ability of R290 water-loop systems to be installed quickly compared to centralized remote refrigeration systems. Cold Front has experience installing water-loop systems in the country, having installed the first one (not for all cases) in the Philippines at a Citimart supermarket located in the province of Batangas in November 2016. Accelerate Magazine // June 2019
"Part of why we are seeing a lot more interest, and why we are pushing for R290 and waterloop systems together, is the feedback we are receiving on energy savings," said Jennifer V. Gonzalez La'O, Cold Front’s vice president of finance & administration. "The testimony, at least from engineering and based on our own numbers, is that the combination of the water loop with R290 was resulting in any where from 25%-30% energy savings." Another reason for interest in R290 water-loop systems, noted Emilio Gonzalez La'O, is that many stores using traditional plug - in units that emit a lot of heat inside the store “want something different, but are not interested in remote systems due to the difficulties with maintenance and other issues that they see with these systems."
TARGETING ASIA C old Front , an exclusive dis tr ibu tor of Freor 's products in the Philippines, has since installed Freor 's water- loop systems at three Rustan's supermarkets in Manila.
CONSIDERABLE ENERGY SAVINGS One of the factors driving interest in R290 systems for new and remodeled stores over the past few years is the very high cost of electricity in the Philippines coupled with the energy-saving capability of R290.
Meanwhile, Freor, a major Lithuanian provider of R290 water-loop systems, has been promoting the technology in the Asian market. Freor recently exhibited its R290 water-loop system for the first time in Japan, where it generated significant buzz at the Supermarket Tradeshow 2019 exhibition, held at in Tokyo in February.