Daikin Exhibits Propane Cabinets in Japan, Highlighting Move to NatRefs

In its latest move to highlight its natural refrigerant offerings, giant Japanese OEM Daikin exhibited AHT’s propane (R290)-based upright refrigerated display cabinets for the first time at the Supermarket Tradeshow (SMTS) 2020, held in Chiba, Japan, February 12 to 14.

In February 2019, Daikin completed its acquisition of Austrian commercial refrigeration firm AHT Cooling Systems, a major manufacturer of R290 equipment with over one million propane-based cabinets installed worldwide. The deal signaled the company’s intention to continue expanding its natural refrigeration business following its acquisition of Tewis, a Spanish CO2 refrigeration system developer, in February of 2018.

At this year’s SMTS, Daikin The exhibited AHT’s Vento Green R290-based upright refrigerated display cabinet along with an R290 two-door freezer chest. The R290 freezer chest is part of Daikin’s lineup of seven freezer chests that run on hydrocarbons (both R600a and R290).

Last year at SMTS, the only hydrocarbon-based equipment Daikin exhibited was an isobutane (R600a) freezer chest. A Daikin representative said that the company sees potential for R290 commercial refrigeration equipment in Japan, though it is still in the very early stages of testing the market.