Reftrade UK, a market-leading specialist in the sale and lease of refrigerated containers and temperature controlled units to the offshore energy sector, has made a significant investment to upgrade its fleet with breakthrough, environmentally friendly technology.
The world’s first refrigeration system to use CO2 as a natural refrigerant, NaturaLINE, has been installed in Reftrade UK’s entire fleet. The innovative system has been designed by Carrier to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and reduce the power usage of each unit.
The six-figure investment will see Reftrade UK take a market-lead as the only supplier of refrigerated containers to offer the environmentally friendly technology.
Reftrade UK managing director Greg Spence said: "Understanding our client’s requirements and ensuring we are offering them the most pioneering refrigeration solutions on the market is important to us at Reftrade UK.
"Reducing their carbon footprint and adopting technology that has less impact on the environment is of great importance to the oil and gas industry, acknowledging this, we have modified our fleet of units to include the latest, environmentally friendly, CO2 technology."
NaturaLINE uses two stages of compression, which when installed, improves the overall efficiency of the unit. The technology includes a custom-designed, variable-speed drive that controls the compressor. The drive electronically adjusts the compressor’s speed to provide the precise amount of cooling capacity to meet demand, saving considerable energy compared to conventional units.
Spence added: "It has been recorded that the NaturaLINE technology can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 28% compared with other units. The technology is set to significantly reduce on-board power generation requirements, allowing offshore vessels to save the fuel used to generate the electricity needed to power the units. The new, upgraded units will help our clients reduce operating costs and increase energy-efficiency.
"We have taken the proactive decision to make each of our units as environmentally friendly as possible, exceeding both UK and European regulative standards. I am confident that the upgrades to the Reftrade UK fleet will be welcomed by both existing and new clients."
This recent upgrade follows an investment of £500,000 that Reftrade Group made in November, which saw the supplier add 23 additional units to its rental fleet.
Reftrade UK is the only supplier of refrigerated containers and temperature controlled units which is owned and operated from Aberdeen. Reftrade UK has a proven track record of supplying quality, bespoke Zoned and Safe Area units that exceed both British and European safety standards.
Using an integrated business model, Reftrade UK supply, deliver and advise on the rental and sale of all DNV 2.7-1 / EN 12079 storage reefers including manufacturing for bespoke projects in both standard and zoned containers.
In addition to its refrigerated containers, Reftrade UK is also equipped to supply clients with a complete range of offshore transportation and storage containers, baskets and tanks. All units are manufactured to the highest standards to ensure clients receive safe and reliable serviced solutions.