UK Factory Switches to "Greenfreeze"

[the.greenbase@green2.greenpeace.org]

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Original-TO:      World Press (Green2:Green2:Gnl:INET)
Original-Cc:      The Greenbase (Green2:Green2:Gnl:Main)
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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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  WORLD FIRST FOR BRITAIN AS  UK REFRIGERATION FACTORY
         SWITCHES  PRODUCTION TO "GREENFREEZE".
 
 
London, February 2, 1995 (GP) The world's first commercial
refrigeration factory to switch its entire production to green
refrigeration technology will be launched at  Castle Donington,
Derbyshire on Friday 2nd February 1996 .  John Gummer MP,
Secretary of State for the Environment and Peter Melchett,
Executive Director of Greenpeace UK will both speak at the
launch.
 
The Elstar factory - which will produce up to 10,000
refrigeration cabinets for pubs and clubs - has converted to
"Greenfreeze" hydrocarbon gases supplied by Calor Gas
as an alternative to the environmentally destructive HFCs
which the company formerly used.
 
The conversion of the factory is a milestone for
Greenpeace's "Greenfreeze" campaign, which  advocates the use
of hydrocarbon refrigeration technology . This  uses
simple natural refrigerants such as propane and
isobutane.
 
Both Government and Industry claimed that to phase out
CFCs,  ozone depleting HCFCs and potent global warming
gases HFCs produced by companies like ICI and Dupont were the
only alternatives available.  Greenpeace supported
the use of "Greenfreeze" and has actively campaigned to
prove it can meet the world's commercial and domestic
refrigeration and air conditioning needs without damaging the
environment.
 
This technology was originally dismissed by ICI. In 1992
they said "can we all go back to the laboratory and spend the
next ten years working on
Greenpeace ideas to see if they can be made to work in
practice?"
 
Yet in less than four years of Greenpeace campaigning,
the entire domestic refrigeration market in Germany has
switched to "Greenfreeze" technology. Two of  the largest
fridge factories in China have also converted to
"Greenfreeze", producing around 2 million fridges a year. A
"Greenfreeze" fridge factory is even opening in

Argentina.
 
British domestic fridge manufacturers Hotpoint and LEC
have yet to make the switch away from HFCs. Yet Calor
Gas's global promotion of hydrocarbons  and the
conversion of the Elstar factory shows that other British
refrigeration companies are now world leaders in
environmentally friendly refrigeration technology.
 
Peter Melchett, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK said
"Elstar's switch to `Greenfreeze' technology is proof
positive that solutions to many environmental problems
are possible. What's more, they can make strong
commercial sense for those  businesses enlightened enough to
produce and market them."
 
"`Greenfreeze" technology is just one example of
environmentally friendly technologies which already exist but
many of which are ignored by industry.  Greenpeace
will continue to champion other environmental solutions
and confront governments and industries who choose to
ignore them."
 
Notes:-
 
(1) Letter written to Greenpeace supporter by Mike
Harris, External Relations Manager, ICI Flurochemicals,
27 June 1992.
 
For more details please contact the Greenpeace press
office on:-
             0171 359 4837 or 0171 354 5100
 
For details about the press launch please call:- 01223
302244
Greenpeace Briefing
 
Elstar factory, Castle Donington: the world's first
commercial refrigeration factory to switch production to
`greenfreeze' technology.
 
The "Greenfreeze" story
 
In 1992 the European Community agreed to ban the
production of CFC gases  because of the damage they
caused to the ozone layer. CFCs were used heavily in the
refrigeration industry. With the the ban on CFC 
production coming into force in 1995, the industry had to find
alternative refrigerants.
 
The main suppliers of CFCs- companies like ICI and Dupont -
spent hundreds of millions of pounds developing and
marketing ozone damaging HCFCs and potent global warming
gases HFCs as replacements for CFCs,  substituting one
problem with another. Both Government and Industry led
people to believe that these were the only viable
alternatives to CFCs. They also argued that phase out
could not happen until their new products were fully
developed.
 
Yet other alternatives did exist. They were simply
ignored. Hydrocarbon refrigeration technology was one
alternative. It was first developed in the 1930's and
uses simple natural refrigerants such as propane and
isobutane.  Greenpeace dubbed such technology
"Greenfreeze" and advocated its use to meet the world's
refrigeration needs without damaging the environment.
 
ICI refused to accept that this system worked and said
that such alternatives were "pie in the sky" (1). They
told Greenpeace supporters that "Can we all go back to
the laboratory and spend the next ten years working on
Greenpeace ideas to see if they can be made to work in
practice?" (2)
 
In 1992 Greenpeace took action to prove that
"Greenfreeze" not only worked, but was a practical and
cheaper alternative to HFCs.  It commissioned Dkk
Scharfenstein, an ailing east German company, to build
ten prototype "Greenfreeze" fridges.
 
Despite huge opposition from chemical companies and the
refrigeration industry, the "Greenfreeze" proved to be a
startling success. By 1994 the entire German domestic
fridge market had switched to this technology, abandoning
HFCs.  Today "Greenfreeze" technology has expanded
further afield. In China, two of the largest fridge
factories  are  switching to "Greenfreeze" technology,
producing over 1.8 million fridges a year. A factory is
also opening in Argentina. In other developing countries
such Pakistan, Ghana, Kenya and India people are  looking to
adopt "Greenfreeze" technology.
 
Greenfreeze in Britain
 
In August 1993 the then Environment Minister Tim Yeo MP
showed his support for "Greenfreeze" by purchasing 20
German fridges for the Department of Environment. Yet
British industry failed to show any interest. UK fridge
manufacturers LEC and Hotpoint remain adamantly loyal to
the use of  HFCs.
 
In January 1995 The  Panel on Sustainable Development -
the Prime Minister's green advisors - recommended that
"the Government should set targets for phasing out ozone
depleting substances and HFCs in each key industrial
sector, and should explore the scope for market
incentives to encourage the development and introduction
of alternative technologies."
 
Calor Gas
 
It was another British company, Calor Gas, which saw the
market potential for "Greenfreeze".  In June 1994 Calor
Gas announced a major new international business division
selling hydrocarbons to the wider refrigeration industry,
providing "Greenfreeze" gases to shops, factories, pubs,
air conditioning manufacturers as well as the domestic
fridge makers. At this launch, The Environment Minister,
the Earl of Arran, said that "hydrocarbons will be good
for industry and good for the environment."
 
This development is proving hugely successful for Calor
Gas and British Industry because the hydrocarbon gases
are cheaper and more efficient.

 
Since establishing this division Calor Gas have been
overwhelmed with enquiries about its products from around the
world, making Britain the world leader in this
technology. The conversion of the Elstar Factory
demonstrates the success of this new business initiative
by Calor Gas. John Harris, Chief Executive of Calor Gas
said that it was "one of the most important new product
launches in the company's sixty year history".
 
The Elstar factory
 
The Elstar factory in Castle Donnigton, Derbyshire is the
world's first commercial refrigeration factory to switch
its entire production to "Greenfreeze" technology.
 
It is owned by Interlevin Holdings Ltd, Europe's largest
refrigeration cabinet wholesaler, who under different
owners, have been supplying refrigeration cabinets since
the 1950's. In 1977 Interlevin was bought by Geof
Whitnall. It now enjoys an annual turnover of over  13
million..
 
 Elstar produces commercial refrigeration equipment for
pubs and clubs, supplying clients such as Carlsberg-
Tetley and Stowells. The Elstar factory is their only
production plant producing 6,500 units this year, with
plans to expand to 10,000 units a year in the future.
 
In 1992 Elstar phased out CFCs and  switched to HFCs. Yet Geof
Whitnall, Group Chairman of Interlevin Holdings Ltd,
experienced severe technical problems with HFCs. When
Calor Gas made hydrocarbons available he switched to
these "Greenfreeze" products.  By using hydrocarbons he
expects Elstar's customer's to make an energy saving of
between 5% and 15%.
 

Notes:  (1) Mike Harris of ICI quoted in Green Magazine,
Nov 1992, page 23
            (2) Letter to a Greenpeace supporter from
Mike Harris of ICI, 27 June 1992.
 
 
 

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