ATHENS, Ga. — Beginning later this year, new-generation refrigerant R-452A Carrier Transicold will become the standard for new transport refrigeration units in North America in an effort to reduce global warming, company officials said.
“Carrier Transicold truck and trailer refrigeration units have been qualified for R-452A since 2017, and it has been available as a customer-specified option for several years,” Bill Maddox, senior manager of product management at Carrier Transicold, said. “R-452A is already standard with some of our newer units, and we’re pleased to expand this standardization to the broader array of Carrier Transicold products, effectively halving the refrigerant GWP of our transport refrigeration offerings.”
Beginning in October, R-452A with a GWP of 2,140, will become the standard refrigerant for all Carrier Transicold models that currently use R-404A, which has a GWP of 3,922.
The timing of the transition will help California customers placing orders for 2023. The California Air Resources Board this year approved a measure requiring all new transport refrigeration units placed into service in 2023 to use a refrigerant with a GWP of less than 2,200.
In 2025, Canada will require refrigerants with a GWP of less than 2,200 in new transport refrigeration units, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the Kigali Agreement of the Montreal Protocol.
Previously, there was a significant cost differential between the new and traditional refrigerants; however, over the last several years, that has diminished with changing demand and refrigerant production trends, helping to encourage adoption of the more sustainable R-452A.
Maddox added that some customers may consider switching refrigerants for units already in service, noting that with relative ease, Carrier Transicold customers can transition newer existing equipment from R-404A to R-452A.
Carrier said that unlike some systems that require replacement of a thermal expansion valve when converting, late-model Carrier Transicold systems — those with an electronic expansion valve — simply require a software upgrade, along with purging the R-404A and replacing it with R-452A.
On Carrier Transicold truck units and older trailer units that use a mechanical expansion valve, the valve will require a manual adjustment or, in some cases, replacement based on the age of the model.
For more information about R-452A for transport refrigeration applications, turn to the experts within Carrier Transicold’s North America dealer network.
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