German food wholesaler Flach Rhein-Main GmbH (Flach) has turned to an innovative refrigeration system to ensure its distribution network is provided with fresh produce in an environmentally sustainable manner.
The company that delivers up to 12,000 different food items to food outlets, wholesalers and restaurants has fitted its refrigerated vehicles with the ECOOLTEC TM182 electrically powered refrigeration system.
Flach’s Fleet Manager, David van Deventer explained the decision to equip three vehicles last year with the ECOOLTEC refrigeration units, as well as a multi-temp body, was a deliberate step towards sustainability and being environmentally friendly.
The company’s goal was to ultimately reduce pollutants and CO2 emissions from its truck fleet.
Flach found that, instead of the fluorinated refrigerants (fluorocarbons) R452A and R410A with GWP (Global Warming Potential) values of more than 2,000 that were previously used in transport refrigeration, ECOOLTEC only uses the natural refrigerants CO2 (R744) and propene (R1270) with negligible GWP values of 1 and 3.
In addition to sustainability, the economic benefits of the ECOOLTEC TM182 system have convinced the company to embrace the eco-friendly technology.
The ECOOLTEC system also scores highly in terms of service and maintenance, David van Deventer said.
“Because the TM182 only contains small quantities of refrigerant, we only need to top up a small amount of refrigerant if that ever becomes necessary,” he said.
“This is more cost-effective, and we don’t have to worry about the global warming potential of the refrigerant.”
Conventional transport refrigeration machines with a comparable refrigeration capacity contain up to 14 kilograms of F-gas as refrigerant, depending on the specification, whereas the TM182 only needs 0.7 kilogram of propene and around one kilogram of CO2 per refrigerant circuit.
According to van Deventer, ECOOLTEC’s wear, and replacement parts are also cheaper than those of other manufacturers, with the resultant low maintenance costs saving the company several hundred euros per year per vehicle.
David van Deventer also praised the system’s cooling performance, which is vital for Flach’s transport operations.
“Even during the hot summer last year, the TM182 reached the target temperature of minus 18 degrees Celsius very quickly and maintained it reliably,” said van Deventer.
He added that drivers praised the ECOOLTEC system’s quiet operation and ease of control, via the control panel in the drivers’ cab.
“They can only sense a slight vibration in the cabin, but don’t notice any noise. This is different with models from other manufacturers, which, unlike the TM182, are not integrated into the body but protrude above the cab,” said van Deventer.
The positive experiences from the outset, and the combination of the ECOOLTEC system’s sustainability and economic efficiency has led to Flach ordering additional units from ECOOLTEC Grosskopf GmbH.
There are now three 15-tonne and three 18-tonne trucks equipped with the TM182 among the company’s 41 trucks, with two further 18-tonners with ECOOLTEC refrigeration units to be added to the fleet.
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