A Journey Through SCM Frigo's History and the Evolution of Transcritical CO2 Technology

Sustainability is a theme present in all interactions and decision-making at SCM Frigo. Talking about its importance is important to us. However, even more necessary, is to show how this principle translates into our products, services and relationships with clients and suppliers.

Today, we will briefly review the history of SCM Frigo and the evolution of transcritical CO2 technology in the company. The aim is to highlight key moments in this commitment to the planet and efficiency.

Despite its growth, especially in Europe, CO2 in the world of refrigeration is a recent concept. At SCM, the first CO2 units began to be produced in 2005. Currently, about 90% of the company's vast portfolio are products and solutions that contain transcritical CO2. From small condensing units (600 watt) to larger units with responsiveness for supermarkets or industry (1.5 megawatts at medium temperature). 2008 and 2009 were important years with the entry and production of chillers Booster for the retail and industrial sectors.

In 2011, SCM Frigo became part of the Beijer Ref and with this turning point, new goals emerged:

●????? 2014: More than 1000 chillers booster produced

●????? 2015: Launch of CUBO2 Plus units

●????? 2017: Launch of CUBO2 Smart units

●????? 2018: BEIJER REF ACADEMY Presentation

●????? 2019: Introduction of the LEAN process for greater production efficiency

●????? 2021: Inauguration of the new headquarters/factory

Knowing the path taken so far, we now look at how transcritical CO2 technology has evolved. The role of the laboratory in this regard should be emphasised. From the beginning, SCM Frigo has always sought to be oriented towards innovation and the most efficient technologies. The main suppliers in the market look to SCM to test the new technology and its components in their laboratory.

For example, the first Danfoss ICMTS valve was tested by SCM, and we were among the first to test Bitzer transcritical compressor. In 2006, the first MT chiller was also entered for testing, and SWEP's first-range heat exchanger for transcritical CO2 was in the laboratory. This case study already presented benefits such as high efficiency, low costs, increased reliability and safety, robustness, and compact dimension.

More recently, MWS-scroll, from the Smart Booster range, is an interesting case that demonstrates the impact of R&D on SCM. This solution spent 7 months at the Beijer Ref Academy in Italy, after a year of being developed in collaboration with Emerson. It uses steam injection technology, being an alternative to parallel compressor operation.

In short, there is a strong commitment to following and responding to the challenges of sustainability. The constant search for innovation and efficiency is a clear answer. Either through the LEAN process implemented at the production level, or through the laboratory and testing of new technology. In this article we explore concrete and practical cases that show this relationship with environmental responsibility.

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