31 July 2018
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The GEA technology has already been installed on P&O's 2,000-passenger ship Arcadia
 | GEA's new transcritical CO2 industrial refrigeration technology is keeping food and drink cool aboard the P&O cruise ship Arcadia. P&O Cruises is part of Carnival, the world’s largest commercial cruise ship operator, and talks are ongoing with a view to rolling out the refrigeration plants to additional ships in the existing fleet, and installing the technology directly in new ships as they are constructed. The technology will deliver energy-efficient cooling for all of the ship’s food and beverage refrigeration units. |
Cooling systems that use non-polluting CO2 as an alternative refrigerant to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are already in use in the retail sector. Developing flexible CO2 refrigeration systems that can be installed safely in the constrained, constantly moving environment of sea-going ships has up to the present been challenging. GEA harnessed more than 100 years of expertise in the design and construction of industrial refrigeration plants to develop the new transcritical CO2 technology specifically for use on ships.
The modular transcritical-type CO2 plants operate using multiple GEA Bock compressors which are ideally suited to the high pressures of CO2 refrigeration systems. Redundancy is built in the plant, so that failure of one or even multiple compressors will not cause the system to stop working. GEA solutions can be tailored to just about any available on-board space, and are designed to be safe, robust and reliable, however rough the voyage. Installation can be carried out while the ship is underway, without affecting continued use of the legacy system before switchover takes place.
Marc Prinsen, Head of Application Center Utilities Marine at GEA, said: “We are delighted to announce this major partnership for our groundbreaking transcritical CO2 technology with P&O Cruises. Every sector of industry is working hard to protect the environment, and that includes saving energy, reducing emissions, and switching to natural refrigerants.
"As one of the world’s leading technology developers and suppliers to a wide range of global industries, we recognise the key role that we can play by developing sustainable, green technologies, which can be used in challenging processes and settings. Having signed our partnership with P&O Cruises, we are also now in discussions with major international fishing fleets.”
gea.com
The modular transcritical-type CO2 plants operate using multiple GEA Bock compressors which are ideally suited to the high pressures of CO2 refrigeration systems. Redundancy is built in the plant, so that failure of one or even multiple compressors will not cause the system to stop working. GEA solutions can be tailored to just about any available on-board space, and are designed to be safe, robust and reliable, however rough the voyage. Installation can be carried out while the ship is underway, without affecting continued use of the legacy system before switchover takes place.
Marc Prinsen, Head of Application Center Utilities Marine at GEA, said: “We are delighted to announce this major partnership for our groundbreaking transcritical CO2 technology with P&O Cruises. Every sector of industry is working hard to protect the environment, and that includes saving energy, reducing emissions, and switching to natural refrigerants.
"As one of the world’s leading technology developers and suppliers to a wide range of global industries, we recognise the key role that we can play by developing sustainable, green technologies, which can be used in challenging processes and settings. Having signed our partnership with P&O Cruises, we are also now in discussions with major international fishing fleets.”
gea.com
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