FOOMA: NNS exhibits CO₂ transcritical units for food manufacturers

Japan-based system manufacturer Nihon Netsugen Systems (NNS) is exhibiting its CO₂ Booster Super Green system for the first time at the FOOMA Japan 2018 exhibition being held in Tokyo, Japan from 12-15 June.

The transcritical CO₂ system, which NNS launched in Japan last year , is part of a growing trend of transcritical CO₂ systems being used in the food manufacturing and cold storage industry in Japan.

Ice cream, frozen food makers, breweries using CO₂

NNS initially targeted the cold storage and logistics facility sectors for its CO₂ Booster Super Green system. However, the manufacturer is now beginning to see interest from a wider range of customers, NNS President Katsuhiko Harada told this website.

"Our main customers [are] cold storage, logistics centres, and freezer businesses such as food industry [manufacturers of] ice cream or frozen food," said Harada.

"For the next projects, now we are working on [a] brine chiller unit for [a] brewing company, and margarine production. Therefore we can announce [this] kind of new application [in the] very near future."

Future growth

Harada said NNS is confident in the use of natural refrigerant-based systems as a future sustainable technology for industry in Japan.

"For the future solution, of course, we understand [that] freon gas is no longer sustainable. Therefore, we [think that] CO₂ or ammonia will be the next solution."

Particularly for the Japanese market, in commercial and industrial applications, Harada believes CO₂-based solutions have a number of advantages over ammonia.

"People in Japan especially, are really afraid of ammonia so for commercial refrigeration or more public refrigeration, we chose CO₂ [because it] is more safe and easy to handle. That is the reason we chose to develop [with] CO₂."

NNS is currently manufacturing the systems at its factory in Shiga, Japan and is aiming to produce more than 100 units per year.

About FOOMA Japan 2018

The International Food Machinery & Technology Exhibition (FOOMA JAPAN) is one of the largest exhibitions in Asia for food machinery and food processing technologies. Over 700 companies and close to 100,000 people attend each year.

NNS President, Katsuhiko Harada, discusses why the company has decided to manufacture CO₂ systems:

NNS President, Katsuhiko Harada, discusses the advantages CO₂ systems provide for end users in Japan: