Panasonic UK Announces New Distributor for Cold Chain Solutions with Hawco

Panasonic UK, has announced a new UK distributor for their Cold Chain CO2 Condensing Units, specialist and experienced refrigeration company ‘Hawco’ who will now stock its full range of natural CO2 condensing refrigeration units for the UK market.

The Panasonic range has been specifically developed for small to medium capacity applications within the retail and food service sectors and is particularly suited for installations in small supermarkets, convenience stores and garage forecourt retail operations.

The CO2 Cold Chain units work well for both refrigerated and freezer showcases, as well as walk-in freezers and cold rooms. An ideal solution suited to provide refrigeration within the restaurant and hotel sectors.

Martin Butler, Commercial Director of Hawco commented “We were conscious that from 2022, all new condensing units used for refrigeration will need to be installed using a refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) of 150 or less. In practice, only a handful of refrigerants meet this criterion, with R744 (CO2) being the most appealing for most commercial cold room applications. Given this, we have been looking for a commercial refrigeration solution that meets these new requirements to offer our customers a futureproof offering. The Panasonic Cold Chain CO2 Condensing unit range uses a natural refrigerant with a GWP (Global Warming Potential) equal to 1 as opposed to the current refrigerant typically used such as R404A having a GWP equal to 3,922.”

Hawco was first established 45 years ago and have built an enviable reputation across the UK for their knowledge and expertise in the refrigeration sector. The team offer design and in-depth product knowledge, helping customers to improve efficiency, minimise energy consumption and move to lower GWP refrigerants.

Alfredos Armaos, UK Country Manager added, “We welcome Hawco on board as a UK distributor of our Cold Chain CO2 Condensing Units. This will help us and our customers across the UK embrace the changing world of refrigeration and help to minimise future risk to businesses, CO2 seems to be the best way to go for refrigeration needs.”

The Panasonic range of CO2 condensing units has been in development for more than 10 years – and over 10,000 units have been installed worldwide. Each unit features a highly efficient two-stage rotary compressor, unique to the Panasonic units (covered by a five-year warranty). The units are compact in size, light weight and have low noise levels, making this solution ideal for small supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations.

All models are suitable for medium and low temperature applications. This makes them ideal for up to 200m3 as well as systems which combine multiple retail display cases. A heat recovery function can also be applied to provide heating using the waste heat from the system to produce free hot water.

Alfredos Armaos further added, “The Panasonic CO2 condensing units are designed for fast and easy commissioning with extended pipe runs between 25 and 100 metres. The units also feature four pre-programmed application settings and can be integrated with market leading controllers.”

By combining reliability and efficiency, with the natural refrigerant CO2, the range removes any risk of future costs associated with the F-Gas refrigerant phase down whilst also minimising energy use and operating costs.

With changes to the F-Gas regulations coming into force alongside reducing carbon emissions and energy costs becoming key drivers for change in refrigeration systems, both specifiers and end users are recognising the need to consider CO2 as a refrigerant.

The units are practical, straightforward to install and easy to commission, with complete design support available through the distributor network.
Hawco will be inviting contractors to attend a training session at Panasonic HQ in Bracknell on Thursday 5th December 2019 with further training sessions scheduled for 2020.