Source: NaturalRefrigerants.com
https://naturalrefrigerants.com/news/pennsylvania-processor-185kw-vitalis-co2-refrigeration-system/
Pennsylvania Food Processor Adopts 185kW CO2 Refrigeration for Low-Temperature Blast Freezing
What Happened
Canadian refrigeration manufacturer Vitalis has supplied a 185kW, or approximately 52.7TR, transcritical CO₂ refrigeration system for installation at a food processing plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The low-temperature Roxsta G6 system will support blast freezing of steamed dumplings at a reported evaporating temperature of −42°C, equivalent to approximately −44°F. The food processor has not been publicly named in the available report.
Vitalis characterized the project as an example of transcritical CO₂ technology expanding beyond its established applications in food retail and supermarkets into industrial food processing.
The project is a current equipment supply and installation rather than a completed performance case study. No verified operating data on energy consumption, freezing time, product throughput or final product-core temperature has yet been published.
That distinction is important for B2B readers. The reported system capacity and evaporation condition describe the refrigeration design, but they do not yet establish the facility’s actual production efficiency or lifecycle cost.
How It Works
The system uses R744, the refrigeration designation for carbon dioxide, in a transcritical refrigeration cycle.
A transcritical system can operate with the high side of the refrigeration cycle above CO₂’s critical point. This requires equipment, piping, controls and service practices designed for higher operating pressures than many conventional HFC-based systems.
The reported −42°C figure is the refrigerant’s evaporating temperature, not necessarily the freezer-room temperature or the temperature at the center of the dumplings.
Evaporating temperature describes the condition at which the refrigerant absorbs heat inside the evaporator. The air delivered to the freezer and the product’s final core temperature will normally be warmer and depend on equipment design, airflow, product dimensions, loading pattern and process duration.
This technical distinction is important when comparing blast-freezing systems.
A buyer should not evaluate performance only by the lowest evaporating temperature. The more useful metrics include kilograms of product frozen per hour, initial product temperature, target core temperature, total freezing time, temperature uniformity and energy use per kilogram of finished product.
Blast freezing removes heat more rapidly than ordinary frozen storage.
High airflow and a large temperature difference help the product pass through the critical freezing zone more quickly. Faster freezing can reduce the formation of large ice crystals and support better texture after thawing, although the final result also depends on recipe, water content, product shape and packaging.
The refrigeration system must therefore be designed together with the freezer enclosure, evaporators, fans, conveyors or racks and the actual production process.
If the refrigeration rack provides enough capacity but airflow around the product is uneven, some cartons may freeze more slowly than others. If the upstream cooking line delivers product at a higher or more variable temperature than expected, freezing time and system load may increase.
The downstream frozen warehouse must also be sized correctly.
Blast freezing creates a high but intermittent refrigeration load. Once the product reaches its target core temperature, it moves into frozen storage with a lower holding load. If storage, pallet handling or dispatch capacity is insufficient, completed product can accumulate and reduce production-line efficiency.
Why It Matters
The project provides another example of natural-refrigerant technology moving into industrial food processing.
CO₂ systems have become increasingly visible in supermarkets and selected cold-storage applications, but industrial blast freezing imposes a more demanding low-temperature operating profile.
Vitalis says its modular CO₂ systems are designed to support variable loads, future expansion and optional heat recovery. The manufacturer also positions R744 as a way for operators to reduce exposure to future restrictions affecting high-GWP HFC refrigerants.
For food processors, refrigerant selection has become a long-term capital-planning decision.
A new refrigeration system may operate for many years. Companies must consider not only current equipment cost, but also refrigerant availability, regulatory changes, technician capability, energy prices, maintenance requirements and possible future expansion.
CO₂ offers several strategic advantages, including use of a natural refrigerant and avoidance of high-GWP HFCs. At the same time, successful operation requires appropriate high-pressure components, advanced controls, careful commissioning and technicians trained in transcritical systems.
The Bethlehem application is particularly relevant because it involves a prepared frozen food rather than only cold-room storage.
Prepared-food processors face changing production schedules, multiple SKUs and variable product loads. Refrigeration systems must respond efficiently when the blast freezer is fully loaded while remaining stable during partial production or sanitation periods.
Part-load performance therefore matters as much as maximum rated capacity.
The project also has potential heat-recovery implications. Heat rejected from the refrigeration system may be useful for hot water, cleaning or building heating, depending on the final design. The current project report does not confirm that heat recovery is included, so any such opportunity would need to be evaluated separately.
B2B Impact
For frozen-food processors, the project demonstrates that CO₂ should now be considered alongside ammonia, HFC and emerging A2L alternatives for industrial low-temperature applications.
The correct comparison should include capital cost, electricity use, maintenance, refrigeration redundancy, refrigerant risk, staff training and the expected production profile.
Processor qualification should focus on the product rather than only the refrigeration plant.
A commissioning program should document initial product temperature, loading arrangement, airflow, freezing duration, final core temperature and variation between the warmest and coldest product positions.
The process should be tested with representative production loads. An empty-room pull-down test does not prove that the system can freeze a full batch of packaged food uniformly.
For refrigeration contractors, the installation requires high-pressure design discipline, control integration and clear safety procedures.
Contractors should confirm pressure ratings, relief systems, gas-cooler performance, compressor staging, oil management, defrost strategy, leak detection and emergency response. Local availability of trained service technicians and spare parts should be included in the operating plan.
For cold storage and warehouse operators, blast-freezer capacity must be coordinated with storage and dispatch capacity.
A fast freezer can simply move the bottleneck downstream if pallet positions, lift-truck capacity or loading docks cannot handle the finished volume. WMS data and production schedules should therefore be connected with freezer availability and cold-room inventory.
For food brands and retailers, a more controlled freezing process may support product consistency and shelf-life management. Buyers should still rely on finished-product specifications and documented process controls rather than assuming that a lower refrigeration setpoint automatically produces higher quality.
For packaging suppliers, the freezer process may affect material selection.
Cartons, liners, films, labels and adhesives must retain performance at low temperatures. Packaging also needs to permit adequate airflow during freezing while protecting the product during storage and distribution.
For energy and sustainability teams, project evaluation should use measured operating data after commissioning.
Relevant metrics include kWh per kilogram frozen, peak electrical demand, annual refrigerant leakage, heat-recovery utilization, maintenance cost and system availability. Equipment capacity alone is not enough to establish environmental performance.
For technology providers, the project creates opportunities to connect refrigeration controls with production scheduling, freezer loading and product-core temperature data. A smarter system can adjust capacity based on actual process demand rather than relying only on room-air temperature.
The broader lesson is that sustainable refrigeration is moving deeper into the food cold chain.
The Vitalis project shows that transcritical CO₂ is being considered for demanding industrial blast-freezing applications. Its real commercial significance will depend on validated product performance, measured energy use and reliable operation after commissioning.