LU-VE: “green” refrigeration for the biggest food logistics center in Russia

For this project, which is headed by the international giant Maersk, the Italian multinational headquartered in the Province of Varese has supplied the CO2 cooling system which uses green technologies with limited environmental impact

Uboldo, 4 August 2020 – LU-VE Group has supplied the machines for the refrigeration of the biggest food storage warehouse in Russia, cooled by CO2. The Italian multinational, listed on the MTA of the Milan Stock Exchange and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of air-cooled heat exchangers, has been awarded the order by Maersk, the most important merchant ship owner in the world, for the design and installation of the CO2 cooling system.

Maersk, with headquarters in Copenhagen and over 100,000 employees, operates in the sectors of maritime transport, energy and shipbuilding. In addition to being the leader in refrigerated food transportation, the company has built a logistics center in St Petersburg for the conservation of fruit, vegetables and other perishable goods (fresh and frozen). The structure, built using the most advanced energy saving technologies, has a surface area of 23,700 sqm. with storage for 50,000 tons and is capable of managing 200 trucks per day.

The logistics center is equipped with three areas at different temperatures (+13°, +6° and -25°) and is the largest Russian structure that uses carbon dioxide (CO2) for refrigeration. Value Defender unit coolers (produced at the Lipestk plant in Russia) guarantee significant energy savings by recovering the compression heat of the refrigerant fluid and are installed in the low- and medium-temperature cold rooms. The condensers are “Big Giant” models, produced in Uboldo (Italy), and are equipped with electronic motors to minimize energy consumption. The St. Petersburg center was built in collaboration with local partner Ingenium, which specializes in the construction of agri-food complexes, logistics and commercial centers with a low environmental impact.

Caring for the environment has always been one of the hallmarks of LU-VE Group, making it a pioneer in its sector, increasingly using natural refrigerant fluids (carbon dioxide, ammonia and HC hydrocarbons) with zero or greatly reduced ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) and GWP (Global Warming Potential).

In 2004, the Group was a pioneer in the use of CO2, with the construction of the first transcritical plant in Europe. Today – together with other innovative companies – LU-VE is working on the project to move the “CO2 equator” and make this solution efficient even in areas of the world (such as India and the Middle East) where previously the climatic conditions prevented the use of this technology .

Matteo Liberali, CEO of LU-VE Group, commented: “We are very proud to have contributed to the construction of the Maersk logistics center, which is the largest ever built in Russia to use green technology that uses carbon dioxide, a natural refrigerant fluid with low or no environmental impact. This contracted project confirms our growth in the country and the good collaboration with our local partners. The cold chain is a strategic sector because it ensures the continuous availability of goods and fresh or frozen products to the public. If we consider that 80% of the food products sent for consumption have been produced or processed at plants equipped with refrigeration equipment, we can understand the enormous importance of optimizing these systems, for the purpose of energy saving. Ahead of its times, LU-VE has been developing “green” and eco-sustainable products, to then focus -by now for over 15 years – on the use of natural refrigerant fluids with low environmental impact “.