EL Cold Chain ±1℃

If cold chain logistics is the lifeline that safeguards the quality of food ingredients, then temperature fluctuation is the most sensitive “pulse” on this lifeline, one that must remain stable at all times. From melt-in-your-mouth ice cream to perfectly marbled prime beef, any lapse in temperature control can bring the freshness of precious ingredients to an abrupt halt. Faced with the dual challenge of stringent temperature control and green energy efficiency in large-scale warehousing, EL, a cold chain customer from Malaysia and an industry pioneer, actively explored a new path to break through these challenges. Relying on Eden Refrigeration’s CO₂ transcritical solution — a low-carbon refrigeration solution, the two parties combined cutting-edge technology with intelligent management systems to jointly resolve the difficulties of temperature control and environmental protection, enhancing the sustainability of the cold chain logistics industry.

EL Cold Chain Project

•  Used for storing meat products, ice cream

•  Cold storage types include chiller rooms, freezer rooms, buffer rooms

•  Total cooling capacity of 317.9 kW, with a multi-temperature-zone design: 237 kW at low-temperature conditions (-20°C), plus 54.5 kW at +2°C and 26.4 kW at +5°C for medium-temperature conditions

CO₂ Transcritical Refrigeration Solution

With the continued expansion of cold chain logistics, electricity consumption and CO₂ emissions are on the rise. The construction of low-carbon cold chain logistics centres has become an important direction for industry transformation and upgrading. In this collaboration with Eden Refrigeration, EL Cold Chain focused on low-carbon refrigeration systems, deeply developing a CO₂ transcritical refrigeration system and jointly building an industry solution with energy-saving advantages.

24/7 Operation with ±1°C Temperature Control

In the cold chain logistics sector, temperature stability is a key indicator for ensuring the freshness of food ingredients. Taking meat preservation as an example, when temperature fluctuation exceeds 1°C, muscle fibres contract more severely and protein denaturation accelerates, which not only affects texture but also causes nutrient loss. Based on the stringent requirements of international food preservation standards, EL Cold Chain requires the temperature fluctuation in its cold storage to be precisely controlled within ±1°C.

Eden’s CO₂ transcritical customised solution systematically optimises the unit coolers:

•  Precision temperature control: Electronic expansion valves replace traditional thermostatic expansion valves, enabling precise regulation of refrigerant flow and on-demand cooling. Stable cooling output is maintained under -20°C low-temperature conditions, with temperature fluctuation controlled within +1°C.

•  Uniform temperature assurance: Fan motors run continuously 24 hours a day, and multi-dimensional airflow optimisation ensures uniform and stable temperatures throughout the storage, eliminating the impact of local hot spots on stored product quality.

•  Enhanced heat exchange system design: The key components of the unit cooler have been structurally reinforced, maintaining high heat exchange efficiency while providing reliable long-term operation and significantly extending equipment service life.

The CO₂ transcritical refrigeration system adopts advanced variable-frequency drive technology, forming an intelligent regulation system together with high-precision electronic expansion valves to achieve outstanding temperature control performance. Through fine speed regulation down to 1 Hz increments, the system matches load changes in real time, completely avoiding the frequent start-stop cycles that traditional fixed-speed compressors must endure to maintain ±1°C temperature control accuracy.

CO₂ Refrigeration System Features

•  The CO₂ transcritical refrigeration system adopts a dual-temperature-zone design with a low-temperature evaporation temperature of -28°C and a medium-temperature evaporation temperature of -5°C. Through the synergy of a parallel compression system and variable-frequency control technology, system energy efficiency is significantly improved. An intelligent holding unit ensures stable standstill pressure, and a PLC-based fully automated integrated control system guarantees operational reliability. This integrated solution offers outstanding advantages in energy efficiency ratio and operational stability.

•  Compared with traditional refrigeration systems, under identical cooling load conditions, the CO₂ refrigeration unit is more compact in structure.

•  Under transcritical operating conditions, the system achieves efficient cooling-heating coupled operation and can recover hot water at higher temperatures (up to 90°C), greatly improving overall energy utilisation efficiency.

Comprehensive Solution

Eden Refrigeration integrates high-efficiency refrigeration equipment with intelligent control systems. Through a data collection platform, energy consumption data is consolidated and analysed in depth in real time, enabling dynamic monitoring of electricity usage and data-driven energy savings, helping EL Cold Chain achieve cost reduction and sustainable development. In the practice of the EL Cold Chain project, we are honoured to explore new paths in cold chain logistics together with our partners. This project has reinforced our conviction that through technological innovation, the dual requirements of temperature control precision and energy saving and environmental protection can indeed be achieved simultaneously.

No matter how complex your challenges are, we are always ready to listen carefully and craft a tailor-made solution with innovative thinking. Welcome to discuss your needs with the Eden team.