REI-TECH&rsquo;s slice of Sydney at Tokyo&rsquo;s Supermarket Trade Show

At the 49th Supermarket Trade Show 2015 (SMTS) in Japan, 10-12 February 2015, REI-TECH Corporation displayed its latest model of AHT Cooling Systems, the ‘Sydney’, a highly efficient showcase designed for convenience store layouts, using natural refrigerant R290. +PHOTOS

It’s been a busy few weeks for leading Japanese distributor REI-TECH. Maintaining a presence at February’s ATMOsphere Asia 2015, SMTS and HOTERES trade shows in Japan, the company put its wide range of products for the HVAC&R industry on display, including showcases, refrigeration units for cold storage and air conditioning units for stores and buildings.

In Tokyo, over 84,000 people walked through the doors over three days at SMTS, a platform for Japanese supermarkets and retailers. It was there that REI-TECH’s Masahiko Kato showed off the company’s R290 AHT showcase ‘Sydney’, which runs entirely on the natural refrigerant with a relatively small charge of around 130g. Adopted predominantly by the large convenience store market in Japan, the covered showcase helps attain a high level of energy efficiency, using approximately 25% of energy in comparison to conventional open showcases.

With the aid of government subsidies in Japan, REI-TECH aims to offer the showcases at a relatively low cost as part of its commitment to help realise the potential of hydrocarbons, particularly in commercial refrigeration, in Japan.

“The AHT Sydney plug-in chiller and freezer is perfect for convenience stores and smaller supermarkets. The innovative glass side panels and LED interior lighting offer great visual merchandising possibilities,” Kato said at SMTS.

All REI-TECH’s showcases to use hydrocarbons by 2020

At ATMOsphere Asia 2015, a forum for local and international HVAC&R stakeholders to discuss the use of natural refrigerants, AHT Marketing Dept. Manager, REI-TECH, Kazuhiro Tatewaki, outlined REI-TECH’s ambitious plans in Japan. REI-TECH’s global sales grew by 35% from 2013 to 2014, and after selling the first AHT R290 showcases in 2013, the company plans to add two more models employing the same refrigerant this year.

Tatewaki, in a case study on an AHT R290 closed showcase installed at convenience store operator SAVE ON, explained that the CVS had reduced energy consumption, operating costs and waste compared to conventional systems. The showcase installed in the SAVE ON store represented a highly attractive proposition for end users, reducing energy consumption and electricity bills by 77% and 70% per month, respectively. The store layout also reduced waste food, often caused by changes in temperature.

With some trepidation towards hydrocarbons as a refrigerant in Japan still existing, presenters at ATMOsphere Asia 2015 noted that bringing R290 and R600a compatible components faster to market and providing end users with better system training, were key to accelerating the hydrocarbons market in Japan.

“The showcase is part of our philosophy to phase out all of our R404 systems and convert to 100% R290 showcases by 2020,” Kato said.

About REI-TECH Corporation

REI-TECH is the appointed distributor and service partner of AHT Cooling Systems for the Japanese market. AHT is a leading global supplier of hydrocarbon plug-in merchandisers for supermarkets, ice cream chests and food & beverage refrigeration.