The decarbonisation of Moroccan industry represents a major challenge for improving competitiveness,
accessing new markets and accelerating the energy transition. Casablanca-based installer Le Froid Polaire
is seizing this opportunity to innovate and offer its customers new solutions with a lower environmental impact.
“R-404A is currently the main refrigerant used on the Moroccan market. We have no regulatory restrictions on this fluid as in Europe, but we must all contribute to the fight against global warming. Offering R-448A is a first step towards reducing the carbon footprint and improving the energy efficiency of refrigeration systems”, explains Youssef Anouari, manager of Le Froid Polaire.
Construction of a 576m3 medium temp cold room
A distributor of refrigeration components and installer throughout France, Le Froid Polaire was consulted last year by the Jalal group on the construction of a cold store.
Founded in 1994, this family-run group specialises in the storage and distribution of products in the Souss Massa region of southern Morocco. In the midst of rapid growth, the group decided to invest in a new 5,000 m² storage platform on a two-and-a-half hectare site in Taroudant, a strategic location to facilitate the dispatch of goods.
To meet the needs of LDC (Leading Distribution Company), one of the entities in charge of distributing
Danone products, a 600 m² area was allocated. In this part of the warehouse, a cold room had to be
capable of storing all the fresh products in the range (yoghurts, fermented milk, butter, etc) at a temperature of +4°C / +6°C. Several quotes were submitted. Le Froid Polaire won the contract for its technical support and environmental solution. Work began in September 2023.
A 576 m3 cold store equipped with two Tecumseh EVUNIT-H-21. 3/105 evaporators was built. It is supplied by two condensing units, each fitted with a Frascold compressor with a unit capacity of 23.67 kW, operating at -10°C / +53°C, with a 35 kg charge of R-448A (Solstice® N40). This refrigerant, distributed by Climalife, was selected for its lower GWP and better coefficient of performance. Replacing R-404A with R-448A reduces energy consumption by an estimated 9% and cuts total CO2 emissions by 22%.
Initiatives to kick-start decarbonisation
This innovation enables the Jalal Group to pursue its commitment to decarbonising its activities in addition to other initiatives already being considered and/ or requested by its suppliers. “We work mainly with multinational companies, that are already asking us to take steps to reduce our carbon footprint. To distribute their brands, this will become a prerequisite. We have already started to replace part of our fleet with hybrid vehicles. We’re thinking about introducing a system to recycle water, which is in short supply in our region,” says Abdelilah Jalal, the group’s CEO. “And reducing the energy consumption of our refrigeration system will be positive in meeting the requirements” concludes Noureddine Jalal, the group’s chairman.
From left to right Noureddine Jalal, Chairman of the Jalal Group, Abdelilah Jalal, CEO at Jalal, Youssef Anouari, Manager of Froid Polaire and Delphine Martin, Global Marketing Manager at Climalife.
