13 Oct 2008
Belgian chocolate maker Leonidas successfully uses Forane® 427A in refrigeration equipment at one of its plants
Leonidas has chosen Arkema’s Forane® 427A refrigerant fluid, a 100% HFC* blend, for the conversion of existing equipment running on R-22, an HCFC generation refrigerant fluid.
The retrofit operation was carried out at the Leonidas Brussels plant, Belgium, by contractor Dehon Climalife Belgium. The famous Belgian chocolate maker performed this retrofit in anticipation of the ban on virgin HCFC 22** refrigerant fluid for refrigeration equipment maintenance coming into force on December 31st 2009 as directed by European regulation 2037/2000.
The equipment in question, a refrigeration tunnel maintained at – 4°C, is used in the end-process of the chocolates manufacture. The retrofit took place in April 2008, and the equipment is running highly satisfactorily. On the strength of this success, Leonidas subsequently retrofitted a further two items of equipment at its plant, one used for the air-conditioning of the zone and the other for the packaging plant. Leonidas is also planning further retrofit operations using Forane® 427A at the plant in order to comply with the HFC ban timetable. The chocolate maker will be taking steps to retrofit the refrigeration equipment at all its Belgian plants by the end of the year.
Forane® 427A, a nil ODP*** refrigeration fluid, may be used at low, medium and high temperature, and allows a quick and trouble-free retrofit of existing air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment running on HCFC 22.
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Notes for editors
The world’s second leading fluorochemicals producer, Arkema currently operates four industrial facilities on three continents: Pierre-Bénite in France, Zaramillo in Spain, Changshu in China, and Calvert City in the United States. The products manufactured in these four plants are sold under the Forane® trademark to the air-conditioning (construction and automotive), refrigeration, insulating foam, solvent, and aerosol industries.
* HydroFluoroCarbon
** HydroChloroFluoroCarbon. Installations still using HCFC 22, concerned by these regulations, account for a huge number of equipment: refrigerant equipment and cold rooms in commercial outlets, supermarkets and restaurants, industrial installations in food processing, chemicals manufacture, and pharmaceuticals manufacture, and air-conditioning in buildings constructed before 2001.
*** Ozone Depleting Potential.
About Leonidas
Founded by Leonidas Kestekides in 1913, Leonidas, the world’s best known Belgian chocolate maker, now has over 1,400 sales outlets in over 40 countries on all 5 continents, including 350 in Belgium and 320 in France. Every day, 10,000 people from all corners of the world, from Paris to Rome, Sydney, Tokyo or New York, guarantee the freshness and quality of Leonidas products.
About Arkema
A global chemical company and France’s leading chemicals producer, Arkema consists of three strategically related businesses: Vinyl Products, Industrial Chemicals, and Performance Products. Arkema reports sales of 5.7 billion euros. Arkema has 15,200 employees in over 40 countries and six research centers located in France, the United States and Japan. With internationally recognized brands, Arkema holds leadership positions in its principal markets.
