Privatised in 2003, SOMACA (Société Marocaine de Constructions Automobiles) has been fully owned by Renault since March 2019. The Casablanca plant assembles Renault Group vehicles and mainly manufactures Dacia’s Logan, Sandero and Sandero Stepway models. In order to be able to export to the European market, the vehicle’s air-conditioning systems must be charged with a refrigerant with very low environmental impact.
To reduce emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases from automotive air-conditioning systems, the MAC (Mobile Air Conditioning) Directive prohibited the use of refrigerants with a GWP >150 in all new vehicles put on the market from 1 January 2017 throughout Europe.
To replace R-134a, (GWP = 1430), the majority of car manufacturers have chosen to use R-1234yf, an A2L refrigerant (mildly flammable) with a GWP of 4 (according to IPCC4). To make this transition, the Renault plant had to adapt its production line and called on Climalife’s engineering department, which has been recognised for its expertise in the design and installation of liquefied and flammable gas storage and distribution systems for many years.
Tailor-made solution
The turnkey offer proposed by Climalife made it possible to:
- Store 2 to 6 containers with automatic inversion.
- Continuously supply gas in its liquid state without any drop in pressure when the drum is changed.
- Completely remove all the liquid refrigerant from the containers.
- Monitor stock status in real time with a dedicated weighing facility.
The unit, built in a 20-foot container, had the ability to be installed quickly at the customer’s site and, in the event of the plant’s remodelling, can be moved. The command-and-control process ensures that the supply of the customer filling station remains constant in terms of pressure and flow rate. The HMI and the connectors are adapted to the customer’s needs.
The installation, which will be commissioned in the second half of 2020, has given the customer full satisfaction.
The Solution
→ Developed by Climalife, the installation has secure access to the refrigerant storage unit for maximum safety.
→ The installation is fully modular and can be used with flammable gases.
→ The process equipment complies with ATEX regulations.
→ In the event of a leak, the gas detection system cuts off electrical and pneumatic power to ensure the installation is safe.
→ The installation was commissioned in the second half of 2020 to the full satisfaction of the customer.
RENAULT
- Business activity : Car manufacturer
- Vehicles produced :Dacia Logan 2 : 28,000 units/yearDacia Sandero 2 : 63,000 units/year
- Location : Casablanca, Morocco
- Year founded : 1959
- 1650 employees