PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants are used in a wide variety of refrigeration equipment utilised in domestic and industrial appliances for food production or preservation. When released into the atmosphere, HFCs have significant global warming potential (GWP) and contribute to almost 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Under the EUs F-gas regulation on fluorinated gases (Regulation (EU) No 517/2014) and the related Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, HFCs must be phased out and replaced with alternatives that have near-zero GWP.
Hydrocarbons such as propane are an excellent and economic substitute. Due to high flammability, their use is only allowed in small hermetic stand-alone units with charge limits (the maximum amounts of flammable refrigerant allowed in the product) of less than 150 g, such as refrigerators, freezers, drinks chillers and ice cream machines. Nemox currently uses 1 200 kg/year of HFC gases, equivalent to 2 800 tonnes of CO2 per year. Replacing them in its devices will reduce the companys CO2 production to almost zero.
OBJECTIVES
The ICEGREEN project’s objective was to demonstrate the technical feasibility, safety and commercial viability of innovative ice cream machines which contain a refrigerant (propane) with near-zero global warming potential. This would replace fluorinated refrigerants, in line with the EUs F-gas regulation.
Through the project, Nemox intended to acquire greater competitiveness in the global market and the possibility of developing an innovative business model for ice cream shops, confectioners, coffee shops and street food providers, contributing to the shift towards a resource-efficient, low carbon and climate-resilient economy.
The specific objectives were to:
- Engineer and industrialise existing prototypes and produce a first pre-series (on about 10 models);
- Revamp the Nemox production line for industrial-scale manufacturing, fulfilling safety and regulatory requirements, and carry out technical validation;
- Develop a new business model for commercial ice cream makers enabled by the new technology, through the creation of test shops called ICEGREEN corners;
- Organise showcases and training sessions with retailers and distributors, both within and outside the EU;
- Prove the environmental efficiency and cost sustainability of the new products in a life-cycle assessment;
- Promote the project through dedicated dissemination channels and networking, in order to raise market awareness for commercial exploitation and wide replication of the technique; and
- Improve awareness of low GWP technologies for domestic and commercial appliances among society and consumers.
RESULTS
The LIFE ICEGREEN project demonstrated the environmental benefits of innovative ice-cream machines that substitute hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants with gases having much lower global warming potential (GWP) and that, at the same time, show better performance in producing ice-cream due to the better refrigerant properties of propane.
More than 10 prototypes of different models of domestic and professional units for making ice cream have been developed and certified. Nemox revamped the main production line to enable industrial-scale manufacturing of the new ‘Icegreen’ models. By the end of the project, the company had produced and sold more than 3 500 Icegreen machines (exceeding the project’s goals), establishing the brand in the market.
The project team developed a new business model for the Icegreen Corners concept, based on the modularity of the Icegreen machines. They demonstrated the economic advantages of Icegreen Corners, compared with standard ice-cream parlours. The business model proved a concrete opportunity for starting a new business with low cost. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, only five demonstration shops were created. Nevertheless, the concept was disseminated at relevant conferences and it attracted a high-level of interest among industry stakeholders and the general public.
A business plan for the future industrialisation of the production line was drafted to define the production capacity of the company up to 2023. The production capacity of the domestic units has been doubled and the foreseen turnover is around €7 million.
The expected environmental performances of the new ice-cream machines was exceeded: they lead to a reduction of the Global Warming Potential by 99% and of energy consumption by 27%, on average. The total greenhouse gases saved during the project, by introducing 3 500 machines on the market, was 1 650 ton CO2 eq over their life cycle.
In terms of policy, the project helps achieve the objectives of the EU F-Gas Regulation (EC 517/2014) on fluorinated greenhouse gases; the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, by facilitating the phase-down of HFCs by 80% by 2030; the Paris Agreement on climate change; and the EU’s 2030 climate and energy framework.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).
