Holdsworth Foods has invested in three cutting-edge trucks with bodies from Solomon Commercials and ECOOLTEC TM182 transport refrigeration units. This strategic purchase marks a significant leap forward in the British food wholesaler’s ambitious sustainability strategy. For Millicent Holdsworth, Compliance Director at the food wholesaler, the decision was clear: the environmental credentials of the all-electric drive, combined with the sustainability and outstanding long-term operational reliability of transport refrigeration units using natural refrigerants, made ECOOLTEC the perfect choice.
“Simply by filling the ECOOLTEC transport refrigeration system with the natural refrigerants propene and CO₂ instead of the F-gas R452A, we’re slashing around 14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per vehicle!” said Millicent Holdsworth. The independent, family-run food wholesaler based in Derbyshire in the Peak District of England delivers an extensive range of frozen, chilled and dry goods to restaurants and catering businesses across the country.
The refrigeration units previously used in the food wholesaler’s vehicles contain 6.8 kilogrammes of R452A (GWP 2,139). The ECOOLTEC TM182, however, contains under 1.5 kilogrammes of the natural refrigerant CO₂ (R744) and 0.65 kilogrammes of propene (R1270) per refrigerant circuit, each with a negligible GWP of 1 and 0. This means that even if refrigerants escape into the environment – for example due to a service error or accidental damage – they cause no harm to the environment. These savings don’t even include the reduction in refrigerant leakage thanks to the advanced design of ECOOLTEC’s TM182. Experience shows that around 15 percent of the total refrigerant charge escapes from conventional transport refrigeration units each year, as the refrigerant circuits are not all fully hermetic, unlike the groundbreaking ECOOLTEC system.
Bodies by Solomon Commercials, refrigeration systems by ECOOLTEC
To accelerate the implementation of its sustainability goals, Holdsworth Foods has proudly expanded its fleet with three impressive trucks: two DAF XB 290s and one XD 340 with gross vehicle weights of 18 and 26 tonnes respectively. Holdsworth Foods are the first operator in the UK to equip the ECOOLTEC application to the 26 tonnes vehicle. All three vehicles feature multi-compartment box bodies and a moveable bulkhead system for flexible load separation from the refrigerated vehicle specialist Solomon Commercials, together with one ECOOLTEC TM182 transport refrigeration unit and two ECOOLTEC E1221 evaporators for each. The three vehicles will be deployed for trunking work between Holdsworth Food’s ten distribution depots located throughout England.
“We chose ECOOLTEC transport refrigeration units because they deliver on every level: an environmentally friendly, purely electric drive and refrigeration generated using exclusively natural refrigerants. Thanks to their negligible global warming potential, these systems are not only exceptionally climate-friendly, but they also guarantee long-term economic operation. Unlike F-gases with a high global warming potential, they’re not subject to current and future legal restrictions and that’s absolutely crucial for us, as we typically operate our vehicles for ten years”, explains Millicent Holdsworth.
ECOOLTEC technology enables F-gas-free supply chain
ECOOLTEC has developed a revolutionary generation of transport refrigeration machines for use on commercial vehicles. The innovative transport refrigeration systems can be operated electrically from the truck engine via their in-house high-performance alternator, a battery, or a separate power source and therefore do not require an integrated diesel engine. Unlike widely used diesel refrigeration machines, the ECOOLTEC unit produces neither local pollutant nor CO2 emissions in battery operation, and up to 98 per cent fewer emissions via the alternator drive.
Instead of the fluorinated refrigerants (fluorocarbons) R452A and R410A with GWP values of more than 2,000, which are currently predominantly used in transport refrigeration, ECOOLTEC relies on the natural refrigerants CO2 (R744) and propene (R1270) with negligible GWP values of 1 and 0 respectively. The F-Gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573 is causing a shortage of synthetic refrigerants available in the EU, which is significantly driving up their prices. The UK is expected to bring in similar regulations. The current phase-down is already jeopardising the operational safety of conventional transport refrigeration systems when no virgin refrigerants are available for servicing, a complete ban will follow in 2050 (phase-out).
Energy-efficient refrigeration process and outstanding cooling capacity
Hydrocarbons are also characterised by the high energy efficiency of the refrigeration process, meaning that ECOOLTEC refrigeration systems have an enormous refrigeration capacity in terms of size and weight to meet the extreme temperature safety demands in food distribution. As a result, the ECOOLTEC refrigeration system requires 60 per cent less fuel and causes 80 per cent less
CO2 emissions than a conventional system for the same cooling capacity powered by a stand-alone diesel engine. Natural refrigerants also offer good availability at a competitive price.
