Thermo King announced that it will begin to offer North American customers new trailer and truck refrigeration units with lower global warming potential (GWP), pending approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its Significant New Alternatives Policy program.

The new units use Opteon XP44, classified R-452A, from Chemours, a refrigerant manufacturer with whom TK has partnered, the company said. Thermo King will continue to offer and support its current line of transport refrigeration products until customers are ready to transition.

“Our intent has always been to offer operators choice of how and when to lower their GHG footprint without compromising the product performance they expect from Thermo King,” said Ray Pittard, president of Thermo King.

“We made this new line of trailer and self-powered truck units available to customers in Europe, Middle East and Africa earlier this year and have sold more than 500 units in the first three months of the product’s release. We are delighted to offer North American customers the same choices.”

These reefer units are part of Ingersoll Rand’s EcoWise line of products that are designed to lower environmental impact with next generation, low GWP refrigerants and high efficiency operation. 

“Since its inception by Thermo King in 1938, the transport refrigeration industry has been using class A1 refrigerants that are safe, non-flammable and have the lowest toxicity,” said Pittard.

“R-452A when used in our products is the safest, most environmentally responsible, and technically and commercially viable solution for R-404A applications ranging from transport refrigeration to mobile air-conditioning. Plus, it has around half the GWP of refrigerants currently used today.”

Last September, Ingersoll Rand, TK’s corporate parent, made an environmental commitment to its employees, customers and shareholders – a roadmap to significantly increase energy efficiency and reduce its climate impact from operations and product portfolio by 2030. 

By 2020, IR plans to reduce GHG emissions related to its operations by approximately 35% and to cut GHG emissions related to its products by 50%. It will also invest $500 million in product-related research and development over the next five years to fund the long-term reduction of GHG emissions.

The company estimates that these actions will cut approximately 20,850,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions globally by 2020, which is equivalent to the energy used by nearly 2 million homes for one year.