The Norwegian postal service has chosen two propane (R290) heat pumps from Italian OEM Euroklimat for a new logistics center in Tromsø, northern Norway.
The units were installed and put into operation in November 2021 under tricky, snowy conditions, according to a post on LinkedIn by Roberto Leucci, Export Area Manager for Euroklimat.
The two air-to-water propane heat pumps will take care of space heating and preheating for domestic hot water. The units are reversible and will provide cooling in the summer.
Each unit has a capacity of 75kW (21.3TR) of heating at -3°C (26.6°F) ambient temperature, providing 40-45°C (104-113°F) hot water. Under these conditions, the system is designed for a COP of 3.19, Leucci said. In cooling mode they have a capacity of 90kW (25.6TR) at 26°C (78.8°F) ambient temperature delivering 12/7°C (53.6/44.6°F) chilled water.
The HERA 095-1-1 LN R290 heat pumps are equipped with semi-hermetic reciprocating compressors and inverter-driven controls. They also have EC fans and electronic expansion valves. The LN designation stands for “low noise.” The HERA R290 heat pump series is available in capacities from 35 to 189kW (10 to 53.7TR) heating and 30 to 164kW (8.5 to 46.6TR) cooling.
Norwegian government procurement rules stipulates natural refrigerants, and thus an f-gas solution was never considered by the customer. “R290 was the best solution, considering the application, the capacity required and the flexibility of the system,” said Leucci. Another factor benefiting heat pumps in Norway is plentiful access to green electricity produced by hydroelectric plants.
The Norwegians are not the only ones lately to choose propane equipment from Euroklimat. A French dairy chose three R290 chillers for a cheese production site in August 2021.
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