The British food wholesaler Holdsworth Foods has put three new trucks with Ecooltec transport refrigeration units into operation. According to the company, these are two DAF XB 290 and one DAF XD 340 with permissible gross vehicle weights of 18 and 26 tonnes respectively. Thus Holdsworth Foods is the first company in the United Kingdom to operate a 26-tonner with an Ecooltec TM182 refrigeration machine.
Deployment in nationwide distribution transport
The vehicles are deployed, according to the company, between Holdsworth Foods' ten distribution sites spread across England. All three trucks feature multi-compartment bodies from the British refrigerated vehicle manufacturer Solomon Commercials. This construction enables the separate transport of frozen, fresh, and dry goods. For cooling, each has two Ecooltec E1221 evaporators, enabling different cooling zones within the body.
Refrigerants with low greenhouse potential
Holdsworth Foods is replacing the previously used systems that operated with the fluorinated refrigerant R452A. According to
the company, the previous systems contained about 6.8 kilograms of R452A with a greenhouse potential (GWP) of 2,139. The Ecooltec TM182, by contrast, operates with natural refrigerants that are considered more environmentally friendly. Per cooling circuit, less than 1.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide (R744) and 0.65 kilograms of propene (R1270) are used.
By switching to these substances, according to Holdsworth Foods, the CO₂ footprint per vehicle is reduced by around 14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalence. Since the refrigerant circuits of Ecooltec systems are hermetically sealed, there are no leaks, according to the manufacturer. In conventional systems, about 15 percent of the refrigerant filling leaks per year on average.
“We chose Ecooltec's transport refrigeration units because they convinced us in every respect. They have an environmentally friendly, fully electric drive and generate cooling exclusively with natural refrigerants. Thanks to the negligible greenhouse potential, the Ecooltec systems are not only exceptionally climate-friendly,
but also guarantee long-term, future-proof and economical operation. In contrast to F-gases with high greenhouse potential, natural refrigerants are not subject to current and foreseeable future regulatory restrictions. This is very important to us, as we typically operate our trucks for ten years,” explains Millicent Holdsworth.
Electric drive replaces diesel operation
The Ecooltec transport refrigeration units operate completely electrically. They can be powered via a high-performance generator connected to the vehicle engine, a battery, or a separate power generator. An integrated diesel engine is not required. As a result, in battery operation there are no local emissions, and in generator operation, pollutant emissions are reduced by up to 98 percent compared with conventional diesel generators, according to the manufacturer.
According to the company, the Ecooltec TM182 replaces the previously used systems, which contained 6.8 kilograms of the fluorinated refrigerant R452A with a GWP of 2,139, with a system that uses
less than 1.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide (R744) and 0.65 kilograms of propene (R1270) per circuit, which operates with natural refrigerants, delivering 60 percent less fuel consumption, 80 percent lower CO₂ emissions, and, thanks to its compact construction, achieves high cooling power with low weight.
Long-term operational reliability
The natural refrigerants used in the new systems are not subject to regulation by the F-Gas Regulation. According to the company, this ensures long-term and easy maintenance operation of the systems. The background is the EU Regulation 2024/573, which has been in effect since 2024 and gradually restricts the use of fluorinated refrigerants. Britain plans similar legislation, according to Holdsworth Foods. A complete ban on fluorinated refrigerants in the European Union is planned no later than 2050.
Holdsworth Foods describes the purchase of the three vehicles as an important step in implementing its own sustainability strategy and further reducing its operational emissions.
