Refra Becomes Bronze Partner on R744 and Hydrocarbons21

By Tine Stausholm, Feb 12, 2021, 10:13 2 minute reading

The company produces hydrocarbon chillers and heat pumps, and transcritical CO2 booster racks for both low- and medium-temperature applications.

From left: Refra R290 air-to-water heat pump; Refra transcritical CO2 booster rack

Lithuanian manufacturer Refra has joined leading natural refrigerant companies as a bronze partner on R744.com and hydrocarbons21.com.

Refra is “striving to contribute to the reduction of pollution in the world, and is therefore increasingly focusing on natural refrigerants,” said Ilona Pavšukova, Refra’s Marketing Manager, stressing that 70% of the company’s turnover already comes from natural refrigerant products.

For the last few years, Refra has seen sales of natural refrigerant products go up by 20% each year, and in 2021 the company is aiming even higher, gunning for a 30% increase.

Refra’s main application area is industrial, but the commercial share is increasing each year. Its main market is Europe with about 95% of sales, with the remainder coming from Russia and Eastern Mediterranean countries. About half of Refra’s production goes to OEMs, about 30% to contractors and the last 20% is sold through partner companies around the world.

One of the company’s end users is German retail giant Aldi, which has installed two transcritical CO2 booster racks in stores in Ireland. The product chosen by Aldi is a medium- and low-temperature rack with a 50kW capacity at -9°C (14.2TR at 15.8°F) and a 5kW capacity at -28°C (1.42TR at -18.4°F), respectively.

The company was an early pioneer in both CO2 (R744) and hydrocarbons, having started producing R744 products in 2005, with hydrocarbons joining the portfolio in 2013. To ensure the safety of products using flammable refrigerants, the company “implements additional protection functions in its equipment, tests widely and uses only certified parts,” Pavšukova stressed.

The portfolio includes air- and water-cooled chillers for hydrocarbons, plus heat pumps. Refra uses a number of different hydrocarbons in its products, including propane (R290), nbutane (R600), propylene (R1270). For R744, Refra produces low- and medium-temperature transcritical booster racks (combined and separate), chillers and heat pumps.

Refra is capable of delivering custom products as well as standard, off-the-shelf products. “The main feature of our company is individual products tailored to the needs of each customer and each situation,” Pavšukova stressed. “It can be said that we develop new products almost every day because we are very adaptable to the needs. We create completely exclusive, unique products for our clients.”

It can be said that we develop new products almost every day because we are very adaptable to the needs. We create completely exclusive, unique products for our clients," Ilona Pavšukova, Refra

By Tine Stausholm (@TStausholm)

Feb 12, 2021, 10:13




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