NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 20259 ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS REVIEWwhen burned) versus natural refrigerants (which are circulated in a closed system and even if a leak occurs, have negligible or no direct CO2 emissions and are considered environmentally friendly). Natural refrigerants include hydrocarbons, CO2, and ammonia. For industrial and process applications, ammonia (R717) refrigerant has been used for well over 100 years ­ since 1850. Ammonia refrigerant has a global warming potential (GWP) of 0, which means it is considered to have no harmful effect on the environment. The availability of industrial refrigeration compressors suitable for providing higher heating temperatures now enables natural refrigerant heat pumps to deliver high-quality hot water up to 190°F (88°C) with research and development ongoing to push this even higher. Heat pumps charged with fluorinated refrigerants or f-gases (like HFCs, HFC/HFO blends, or HFOs) on the other hand, do not have a negligible GWP, most have impacts that are hundreds to thousands of times that of CO2. Plus, f-gases are subject to ongoing refrigerant phase-downs around the world, increasing the risk of being forced to take out these systems prematurely to comply with regulations. With industrial heat pump installations expected to last in excess of 20 years (potentially even 40 years or more), making a future-proof refrigerant decision is vital. By switching from fossil gas to ammonia heat pumps for heating, the direct emissions of a heating system are automatically cut to 0 ­ a win for decarbonization. Plus, ammonia is regarded as the benchmark for efficiency in industrial refrigerant applications, further reducing indirect emissions from energy use. For example, when comparing an effective COP of 6 versus a boiler system with a COP of 0.8, a heat pump can provide 7.5 times more heat energy for each unit of energy input, according to industry studies. Another key benefit of switching to an ammonia or CO2 heat pump is the potential to capture industrial waste heat from the refrigeration process and upgrade it for use in heating processes. By integrating the heating and cooling processes of a facility, this waste heat is no longer simply vented into the atmosphere. Repurposing waste heat further reduces fossil fuel use and related emissions. With ammonia, the heat pump function can easily be added to the industrial refrigeration system, eliminating the inefficiency of having to transfer the heat from the refrigeration system to a separate heat pump system.A secondary yet significant benefit is that the heat pump diverts load away from evaporative condensers, allowing them to operate at lower pressures and conserving water and water treatment resources. This is another saving on the utility bill. PROVEN SAVINGS AT MAPLE LEAFMaple Leaf Foods in Brandon, Manitoba is a prime example of how switching to a natural refrigerant heat pump can greatly reduce electricity use, cutting down emissions and accelerating the facility's journey to decarbonization. The plant processes 18,000 hogs per day, five days a week, and uses 140F water for up to 22 hours a day. Traditionally, this process relied on natural gas boilers and direct-contact water heaters. By adding a heat pump function into the existing ammonia refrigeration system, Maple Leaf reduced its natural gas consumption by 3 million cubic meters annually, amounting to savings of $223,599 (per year). Repurposing waste heat further reduces fossil fuel use and related emissions.
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