News
Enlightening experience at cold chain kolloquium
43 select professionals from across all spheres of the cold chain industry joined together in Wiesbaden, Germany, for the EUROVENT KÄLTE KOLLOQUIUM. Over two days, from 4th - 5th June, operators, planners and manufacturers explored reliable refrigeration systems for the cold chain, "From Farm to Supermarket."
Organised by Eurovent Certification and COOLPLAN, with media partners CCI and KKA, the kolloquium scrutinised the latest trends in refrigeration, from analysing innovative projects paving the way for decarbonisation and net-zero, to boldly tackling issues such as underperformance and its impact on food quality and energy efficiency.
With presentations delving into the world of natural refrigerants, product certification, sustainable transport cooling, green building concepts, along with refrigeration components and systems, the event featured speakers from Eurovent Certification, Kratschmayer, ECOOLTEC, REWE, Evapco, LU-VE, Danfoss, Epta and TÜV SÜD. A comprehensive technical programme took delegates from theory to practical, with a mix of seminars and excursions, perfectly blended to encourage learning, discussion and networking in inspiring surroundings.
Day 1: Kloster Eberbach
The first hint that this would be a different type of refrigeration event came in the venue choice for day-one; the atmospheric Kloster Eberbach near Wiesbaden. Nestled in a valley surrounded by woodland and vineyards, the venue transported delegates from the usual confines of a stuffy hotel conference room to a vast monastery, whose historic walls have been a centre for learning and enlightenment since 1136.
Arriving to be greeted with coffee, snacks and time to introduce each other, guests then made their way into the monk’s refectory for the start of the technical programme. The presentations were given under the themes of certification, farm, transport, supermarket and component, to include the whole food cold chain.
Gerhard Frei, from COOLPLAN engineering office kicked off the proceedings with a welcome and introduction to the event, before inviting Sylvain Courtey, President of Eurovent Certification to say a few words.
Presentation 1: Eurovent Certification Programs - Using the example of heat exchanger certification - advantages compared to the use of non-certified products
Tim Kröger, Sales Manager, Eurovent Certification was first up at the podium, taking delegates on a whistlestop tour of the world of third-party product certification. Hammering home the message that Eurovent Certified Performance must be earned and cannot be bought, Tim launched into two case studies which touched on the murky subject of underperformance. The case studies showed how certification acts as a differentiator between products and gives peace of mind to the customer and end user.
Presentation 2: Refrigeration system comparison (R744 / R290) of long-term fruit storage rooms
Micha Kluge, Head of Refrigeration Department from Kratschmayer Kälte-Klima-Lüftung GmbH, took the audience on a journey through the DyNatCool project. With the objective of delivering the most energy efficient solution for long-term apple storage, the project aimed to undertake a system comparison using identical, optimised cold rooms, one propane and one CO2. Micha described how the DyNatCool research project examined heat transfer, cooling phase and refrigeration system comparison with interesting results.
Presentation 3: Sustainable transport cooling with natural refrigerants (R1270 / R744)
Moving onto transportation, Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Süß, CTO from ECOOLTEC Grosskopf GmbH took delegates back to their school science lessons, with an overview of the periodic table. He explained the trade-off between stability, flammability and toxicity. Covering refrigerants past, present and future, Jürgen discussed safe approaches to using flammable natural refrigerants. He then spoke on the ‘dream team’ for transport cooling, namely the trinity of a chiller, evaporator and generator.
Presentation 4: Planning, tendering and operation of R744 green building concepts
The final presentation before lunch saw a double act from REWE Deutscher Supermarkt AG & Co. KGaA, Tobias Frey and Manfred Rössling, tell the story of REWE’s journey to create a new building standard for green farming. The focus of the presentation was the green farming market pilot store in Wiesbaden, which incorporates a supermarket with a roof farm for fish and basil production.
Presentation 5: Heat dissipation in the logistics cold store
The afternoon sessions began with Michael Rabenstein, Country and Branch Manager, for Evapco Europe GmbH. Michael was presenting on behalf of the members of the Eurovent Cooling Tower (CT) working group. His presentation gave a thorough explanation of the different types of cooling towers, their functional principles, advantages, and challenges for each type of technology. Using a case study, Michael showed the impact of uncertified data and the resulting underperformance.
Presentation 6: Certification and comparison of finned heat exchangers
Stefano Filippini, Innovation Director for LU-VE S.p.A. next stood up to present on behalf of the members of the Eurovent Heat Exchanger (HE) Working Group. He started with an introduction to Eurovent Certification and the Heat Exchanger programme, before moving onto CO2: Thermodynamic principles. A case study showed the influence of an uncertified CO2 gas cooler on the annual electricity consumption (and electricity costs) of a refrigeration system. Stefano finished on the topic of adiabatic gas coolers and the possibilities for reducing the CO2 outlet temperature to increase the COP of the refrigeration system.
Presentation 7: Smart Store concept and the path to an emission-free supermarket
Jörg Saar, Global Solutions from Danfoss GmbH, launched straight into the topic of decarbonisation, highlighting that to have an emission-free supermarket you must reduce energy, reuse energy and source green energy. To illustrate his point, Jörg introduced delegates to the Danfoss Smart Store in Nordborg, Denmark, which offers a fully integrated Smart Store supermarket and Danfoss Application Development Centre.
Presentation 8: Cooling in a circuit with Water-Loop refrigeration cabinets
Next up was Daniel Vöhringer, Head of Project Engineering at EPTA Deutschland GmbH. Daniel started with an overview of the market and system related challenges, before moving onto water-loop system design. Daniel gave a system rundown of plug-in refrigerated display cabinets and semi-plug-in refrigerated display cabinets, before outlining full plant design. A case study gave a real-life example of a system comprised of a semi-plug-in water-loop system using propane condensing units and a propane direct evaporator.
Presentation 9: Testing and certification of refrigeration systems and refrigeration components
After a brief break for refreshments, the delegates returned for the final lecture of the day from Peter Schnepf, Head of refrigeration laboratory at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH. Launching straight into the purpose of certification, Peter then explored the role it plays in the food cold chain. Using the certification example for an evaporator, Peter explained the laboratory tests undertaken at TÜV SÜD as part of the Eurovent Certified Performance certification process. Peter then ran through the testing of condensers, CO2 gas coolers, dry coolers, refrigerated display cabinets, fan convectors, sample boxes (for ventilation units), air handling units, cooling towers, heat pumps, and air conditioners, before moving onto certification for transport refrigeration.
Finally, it was time for closing remarks and a discussion round where the audience could ask questions. The speakers were thanked for their excellent presentations as the technical programme closed for the day.
With delegates left to take a break before the evening events commenced, many took the opportunity to explore the Kloster Eberbach’s grounds. The evening programme began with snacks before delegates were met by guides for a tour of the monastery. Taking in the cloister, monk’s dormitory, basilica, and the lay refectory, the tour concluded in the atmospheric wine vaults where delegates sampled a selection of Kloster Eberbach’s very own wines. The evening then moved to the restaurant where talk of the day continued over a delicious meal, washed down with more of Kloster Eberbach’s finest.
Day 2: Excursion
Green Farming Market
Day two put the theory into practice, with the chance to go explore cold food chain technology in its natural habitat. Catching a coach to the first venue of the day, delegates found themselves in the car park of REWE’s innovative Green Farming Market in Wiesbaden, for a tour not just of its CO2 refrigeration system, but the full site itself.
Delegates split into two groups to be guided around the premises and told the story of how REWE and UK architecture firm Acme, brought the concept store to life. A mix of supermarket and rooftop farm, the green farming market is a prototype that can be copied across sites in Germany and beyond.
Starting from the outside, delegates learned how a triangular-shaped car park layout minimises the sealed area without compromising on parking spaces. With meadow grasses, wildflowers, bushes, trees and insect hotels making up the rest of the outdoor space, even the exterior screams sustainability.
As the tour moved towards the outside of the building, delegates learned how the supporting structure was made of wood from certified, sustainable forestry as a renewable raw material and CO2 capture. The wood stack construction enables simpler, quicker building and follows the cradle-to-cradle principle: Assembling the wooden components using threaded bolts enables them to be dismantled, so the wood can be reused after the end of its life – an important step towards circular economy in the construction area.
Having learned that Green Building stores are 100 per cent supplied with certified green electricity and use photovoltaic systems where appropriate, next it was time to focus on the refrigeration equipment. CO2 is used for normal and deep-freeze interconnected installations and propane is used for ready-to-use plug-in chests. Buffer storage is used for heat recovery; glazed wall-mounted refrigerated shelves for meat and dairy products allow less heat to escape. Steps such as integrated LED lighting, energy-saving fans, and not using window heating for freezer units also increases the energy efficiency of refrigeration appliances.
When it comes to water, rainwater harvesting is used to collect rainwater for cleaning floors, flushing toilets and outdoor watering. Rooftop farms and aquacultures are also supplied with rainwater.
The impressive space inside the building makes use of glass to flood the interior with natural light, reducing the amount of artificial lighting needed during daylight hours. While the downstairs acts as a traditional supermarket, those making their way upstairs are treated to a view of the rooftop farms. Part aquaponics, i.e. a closed aquaculture cycle for fish farming, and part hydroponic cycle for basil cultivation, the two farms complement each other, with the basil fertilised by the byproducts of fish kept in tanks on site. The production supplies the majority of the stores in the region with basil and fresh fish.
The tour finished with lunch in the supermarket’s very own café, before the excursion moved on to visit REWE’s NH3/CO2 logistics warehouse in Raunheim near Frankfurt.
NH3 / CO2 logistics warehouse
The distribution centre holds some 47,000sqm of refrigerated space, with cold rooms ranging from 12oC, to 5oC to -22oC. With hi-vis on and armed with ear plugs, the tour started with a walk around the various plant rooms incorporating a range of refrigeration systems including ammonia chillers. Delegates had the chance to explore all the indoor plant, before heading onto the rooftop to see the Eurovent Certified Evapco cooling towers. Moving through onto another roof space, delegates were able to view REWE’s vast banks of photovoltaics and get an idea of the sheer size and scale of the distribution centre.
Walking back inside and through the plant rooms, it was time to swap earplugs for jumpers for a tour of the distribution centre’s cold rooms. Delegates felt the first hints of a chill in the 12oC cold rooms as they were taken from one vast cavernous hall to another. As the tour progressed the REWE team explained which goods were stored at what temperatures and the process to get goods to the market. Delegates felt the distinct drop from 12oC to 5oC as they progressed further into the distribution centre.
Explaining the intricacies of storage and distribution, the REWE team showed every aspect of the centre, from the refrigeration plant to the system in place to recycle plastic and paper packaging from goods delivered to supermarkets. Delegates had full opportunity to ask questions as they went about the tour. The REWE team still had one trick up their sleeves, as they took delegates through the coldest part of the distribution centre, with a very brisk walk through one of the coldest cold rooms, at -22oC.
Glad to be out on the other side and with 5oC suddenly feeling balmy, the REWE team showed delegates the last few spaces, before leading the group back through the distribution centre and out to the warmth of the office space beyond.
With much knowledge learned and new contacts made, delegates reflected on the event, praising the quality of the technical presentation and tours, as well as the informal evening programme. Goodbyes and thanks were said, as the coach arrived for the last journey back to Frankfurt airport and the hotel. And so closed this year’s EUROVENT KÄLTE KOLLOQUIUM, a refrigeration event with a difference.
Our gratitude goes to fellow organiser COOLPLAN and media partners CCI and KKA. Huge thanks go to our speakers from Kratschmayer, ECOOLTEC, REWE, Evapco, LU-VE, Danfoss, Epta and TÜV SÜD, with special thanks to REWE for their hospitality on day 2 at the Green Farming Market and distribution centre.
To express your interest in next year’s event, please send us an email.
Find cold chain products from our certified manufacturers, including BAC, Evapco, Cenk, Friterm, Jacir, LU-VE, and SPX in our certified product directory.