FOOMA Japan 2017: New hydrocarbon showcases on display

Rei-tech, a leading Japanese distributor of showcases, displayed its line of Germany-based showcase manufacturer Liebherr R290 and R600a brand-able showcases at the International Food Machinery & Technology Exhibition (FOOMA Japan 2017) in Tokyo, Japan last week (13-16 June).

The showcases feature the option for companies to more prominently display their branding on the unit.

“Many companies are interested in this concept. As an added benefit, branding these HFC-free, environmentally responsible showcases is a great way to promote the company’s sustainability messaging,” said Rei-tech’s director of merchandise strategy, Masahiko Kato.

The company is offering R290 and R600a showcases that are brand-able and intended to encourage companies to communicate their use of eco-friendly refrigerants.

The showcases on display were an R600a case with 37g of isobutane and an R290 showcase with 66g of propane. According to Rei-tech, they are 30% more efficient than HFC-based showcases.

“We are planning to start selling these units from August of this year,” said Kato, who added that they are aiming to sell 600 units in the first fiscal year.

Subsidies encourage sales

As opposed to industrial cold store operators, subsidies for commercial retailers to install natural refrigerant systems ended this year in March. Currently they not available and are pending reinstatement.

Kato commented that, though the price of hydrocarbon showcases are not significantly higher than their HFC counterparts, they still see customers encouraged to switch when subsidies are available.

“Compared to last year, awareness of HFC-free hydrocarbon showcases has been increasing, but the absence of the subsidy has had an impact on our sales,” he said.

Despite this, Rei-tech announced that it is looking forward the installation by an end user of its showcases without the use of a subsidy in a northern prefecture of Japan.

About FOOMA

The International Food Machinery & Technology Exhibition (FOOMA JAPAN) is one of the largest exhibitions in Asia for food machinery and food processing technologies. Over 700 companies and close to 100,000 people attend each year. This year marked the 40th anniversary, with an expanded exhibition area to roughly 15,000 square metres.