Panasonic Subsidiary Introduces 4HP CO₂ Condensing Unit to Australian Market

Hussmann Oceania, a subsidiary of Panasonic, is introducing Panasonic’s 4HP outdoor transcritical CO₂ condensing unit to the Australian market, the company announced in a press release on November 2.

The announcement comes two months after Panasonic unveiled the same 4HP condensing unit to the European market at the Virtual Trade Show organized by shecco, publisher of this website.

The 4HP unit is suited for small-format stores, restaurants, gas stations and fast food chains. It will complement the existing 2HP and 10HP Panasonic condensing units already in the market Australian and Europeans markets.

The Panasonic CO₂ condensing units are based on two-stage rotary compressors with split cycle heat exchangers and heat recovery ports, making them up to 50% more efficient than standard cycles, according to Panasonic.

The 4HP model (OCU-CR400VF8) is a 7.5kW (2.1TR) medium-temperature system with evaporating temperatures from -20°C/-4°F to -5°C/23°F. It can operate between -15°C and 43°C ambient temperatures (5 to 109°F).

Reliable in high temperatures

The CO₂ systems have been successful due to several factors, including ease of installation and reliability in high temperatures, said Gaku Shimada, Overseas Sales Manager for Panasonic's Refrigeration System Sales Department, during a presentation at ATMOsphere Europe in October 2019.

“The most popular thing I hear from our installers is ‘Gaku, this product is very, very easy to install,’” said Shimada.

In addition, Shimada said that the CO₂ units ran without issue during the European heat wave during the summer of 2019, which exceeded the system’s rated ambient operating temperature maximum of 43°C (109°F). “Actually, [during the summer of 2019] in France, we experienced 48°C (118°F), and the unit ran without any issue,” Shimada said.

According to Shimada, as of October 2019, the company had sold 600 CO₂ condensing units in the European market since introducing them in 2017. In its home market in Japan, Pansonic had sold 10,000 CO₂ condensing units through 2019.