Thermo King has announced that it will offer its transport customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa a choice on how and when to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint.

From January 2015, the company will offer a new line of trailer and self-powered truck units that are energy efficient and reliable and use a next generation refrigerant that has about half the global warming potential (GWP) of refrigerant currently used. At the same time, for those transport customers who want to transition their existing units, Thermo King will offer replacement service through its dealer network. In 2016, Thermo King will then offer the same benefits with vehicle powered truck products.

Ray Pittard, president of Thermo King North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “Our intent is to offer operators a choice of how and when to lower their GHG footprint without compromising the efficiency, reliability and overall product performance they expect from Thermo King. We made a significant investment in research and development, testing and the appropriate ATP approvals in order to bring product and service alternatives to market.”

In anticipation of the European Union’s 2014 F-Gas Regulation, Thermo King, in close partnership with refrigerant manufacturer, DuPont, selected R-452A, also known as DuPont Opteon(R) XP44, for this alternative line of transport refrigeration products.

Mr Pittard said: “Since its inception by Thermo King in 1938, the transport refrigeration industry has been using class A1 refrigerants that are safe, non-flammable and have the lowest toxicity. R-452A when used in our products is the safest, most environmentally responsible, and technically and commercially viable solution for transport refrigeration applications. Plus, it has about half the GWP of refrigerants currently used today.”

Dwight Gibson, vice president, Thermo King Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “The new line of Thermo King products offers the same high level of performance as today’s portfolio including the same cooling capacity, pull-down and fuel efficiency. In addition, retrofitting current products with the next generation of refrigerant is a compatible solution which means that operators can increase their return on investment of units they already own with – the least amount of rework, lower fuel consumption and emissions, and retaining the residual value of the equipment.”

Thermo King will continue to offer its transport customers its current line of transport refrigeration products, and ensure that they receive optimum levels of service throughout the products’ lifecycle and until customers are ready to make the transition.