The total number of refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump systems in operation worldwide is close to 3 billion, according to a report by the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR). Global annual sales of such equipment amount to USD300bn USD.
By Dan Orehov
Almost 12 million people are employed worldwide in the refrigeration sector which consumes about 17% of the overall electricity used worldwide, the IIR says. However, the food cold chain is still insufficiently developed, especially in developing countries. Global food production comprises roughly one third of perishable products requiring refrigeration and In 2010, out of a total global food production (agricultural commodities, fish, meat products and dairy products) of 6,300m tonnes, only about 400m tonnes were preserved using refrigeration (in chilled and frozen state), whilst about 2,000m tonnes required refrigerated processing. “According to the IIR, the lack of a cold chain causes significant global food losses: up to almost 20% of the global food supply. In developed countries, food losses from the absence of refrigeration account for nearly 9% of the total food production, and 23% on average in developing countries.”
Frozen food as industry driver
Annual consumption per capita of frozen food is about 50 kg in most advanced countries, such as the US, Ireland, UK, Sweden and Germany. Valued at USD225bn in 2012, the frozen-food market is expected to reach USD294bn by 2019, due to the very high growth rates expected in Brazil, China, India and Mexico, according to IIR.
“The continuous advancement in freezing technologies permitted the fast development of attractive food markets for highly-demanded refrigerated products, such as frozen foods and ice creams. In the beginning of 2010s, the annual production of various frozen foodstuffs amounted to about 50m tonnes (plus 20m tonnes of ice cream and 30m tonnes of fish). Moreover, in supermarkets, around 45% of the electric energy consumed is used by refrigeration equipment supplying cold to the display cabinets and the cold rooms for chilled and frozen food storage,” states IIR.
As the USDA – Foreign Agriculture Services & Business Monitor International 2015 shows, the estimated CAGR of global refrigerated food exports is of 7.4% between 2014 and 2018, with meat and fruit being the most widely sold commodities worldwide.
IFFA to showcase innovations
Global technology equipment supplier to the food processing industry, JBT will be launching its latest spiral freezer at this year’s IFFA, which the company claims is the most compact and hygienic freezer in the world, with the highest capacity of any comparable spiral freezer. The new Frigoscandia® GYRoCOMPACT® 40 Spiral Freezer has evolved from one of JBT’s best-selling products, the GYRoCOMPACT Classic 400 Spiral Freezer, which has sold over 1,100 units throughout the world. This latest technology replaces the outdated wagon drive with the company’s patented FRIGoDRIVE® system providing a number of benefits. These include 30% faster belt speeds, even more advanced hygiene features, lower running and maintenance costs, and improved serviceability. The freezer also boasts an increase in capacity of between 15% and 20% on its predecessor, which is around 35% to 40% higher than can be produced on any competitor freezer of the same size.
A key feature of the Frigoscandia spiral freezing technology is the patented self-stacking FRIGoBELT® NOVA conveyor which forms a self-contained product freezing zone, as Torbjörn Persson, JBT’s portfolio and applications director, explains: “With this new spiral freezer, the FRIGoBELT NOVA conveyor simply rests on the flat surface of the chain and the belt stack turns as a single unit, so there’s no need for supporting uprights or rails, either inside or outside. This means there are no stationary parts to cause jamming, or dirt-trapping structures to complicate cleaning. And the self-stacking FRIGoDRIVE system removes the need for a drum to wrap the belt around, so there’s no risk of overstretching the belt.” As the demand for frozen food continues to increase, and legislation on Health & Safety becomes more regulated, Persson says that JBT is dedicated to producing freezer technology that sets the standard for hygiene, durability and cost of ownership. “With the new GYRoCOMPACT 40 Spiral Freezer we’ve retained all the best technological features that we’ve developed over many years, and upgraded a best-selling design to meet this demand. This latest model is the most cleanable and cost-efficient freezer in the world, with around 35% to 40% higher capacity than any comparable freezer of the same size.”
In the US
According to a new study from Freedonia US demand for commercial refrigeration equipment is forecast to rise 3.1 percent per year through 2020 to USD11.3bn, decreasing from the 2010-2015 period, when growth was bolstered by a rebound in sales after the economic recession. Despite this slowdown, suppliers are expected to benefit from the phase-out of R-22 refrigerant scheduled to occur in 2020, as this will prompt commercial refrigeration equipment operators to either retrofit their equipment to use an acceptable alternative refrigerant, which will increase parts demand, or to replace their existing equipment, which will boost system sales. A number of alternative refrigerants can be used instead of R-22, and retrofitting is the less costly option for operators.
“Transportation refrigeration systems are the largest share of commercial refrigeration equipment demand in the US at 23 percent of the 2015 total. However, these products will record the slowest rate of increase in demand through 2020 due to a significant slowdown in refrigerated truck and trailer fleet expansion activity following a period of robust gains between 2010 and 2015. Beverage refrigeration equipment and display cases will post the fastest sales increases through 2020. Beverage refrigeration equipment sales will be boosted by continued growth in eating and drinking establishments and associated food service revenues,” the report states.
