Why the range is moving to R290
R290 is propane: a natural refrigerant with a very low global warming potential and excellent thermodynamic properties. In a display cooler it does the same job as a synthetic refrigerant with a smaller charge, and it does it efficiently.
For our European customers the driver is regulation, since the F-Gas reduction path makes high-GWP refrigerants progressively more expensive to service and eventually difficult to buy. For customers in other markets the driver is a straightforward energy figure, together with the knowledge that the direction of travel is the same everywhere.
Charge limits mean redesign, not re-gassing
This is the point most often misunderstood. R290 cabinets operate with a restricted charge, and the restriction is a safety requirement, not a manufacturer preference. A cabinet designed for a synthetic refrigerant cannot simply be evacuated and refilled with propane.
- The circuit is smaller, which changes pipe diameters and the evaporator layout
- The lubricant is different, which changes what the compressor can be
- The evaporator is often relocated so the charge sits where it should
- Leak detection and the electrical enclosure are treated as safety-relevant rather than routine
In practice this means an R290 version of a cabinet is a new design with its own testing, not a variant of the old one. That is why the conversion programme is measured in quarters rather than weeks.
Where we are on the programme
The display cooler families are furthest along, with R290 versions in serial production across the most-ordered sizes. Back bar coolers and the smaller upright units follow, since they share much of the same circuit architecture.
Large multi-door merchandisers and the open multidecks take longer, because the charge has to stay under the limit at the same time as the capacity goes up — which is a coil and airflow problem rather than a compressor problem. Dry-aging cabinets are on a separate track, since their operating envelope and humidity load are unlike anything else in the range.
We publish progress rather than dates, because a date we then miss is worth less to a buyer than an accurate status. If a specific model is on your critical path, ask us directly about that model.
What it changes for buyers
| Question | What to ask for |
|---|---|
| Is an R290 version in serial production, or planned? | Serial production means spare parts and service experience exist today |
| What is the charge, in grams? | Decides whether local service rules apply to your market |
| Is the controller and electrical enclosure revised? | Confirms this is a designed unit, not a converted one |
| What is the compressor model? | Check availability in your market before you commit |
| Are refrigeration parts interchangeable with the previous version? | Almost certainly not — plan the spare-parts list accordingly |
Planning the transition
- Ask about R290 on the model you are buying now, not the whole range
- Do not stock spare compressors across a refrigerant transition without confirming which version they fit
- Confirm your service partner can handle a flammable refrigerant before the first unit lands
- Ask for the energy figure at your climate class, so the comparison with the old model is real
The transition is going to reach every export market eventually; the difference between a smooth one and an awkward one is whether the spare-parts question is asked at the order stage or eighteen months later.
Liang leads the refrigeration test bench at Dixue and has spent nineteen years matching compressors to cabinets.
