The highly esteemed conference on ammonia and CO2 refrigeration brings together scientists and industry thought leaders from around the world to drive advancements and knowledge in natural refrigerants.

Dr. Andy Pearson, Group Managing Director of Star Refrigeration, was recently recognised for his 18 years of contribution to Ammonia and CO2 refrigeration research at the 10th International Conference on Ammonia and CO2 Refrigeration Technologies. Organised by the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Ss Cyril & Methodius –Skopje, the conference was held in Ohrid, North Macedonia.

The biannual specialist conference unites the world’s preeminent scientists and industry leaders to promote knowledge exchange and foster innovation in ammonia and CO2 refrigeration technology. This year’s event took place from 27th – 29th April 2023, with the attendance of 500 international delegates.

Dr. Pearson was presented with the special plaque by Didier Coulomb, Director of IIR, and Risto Ciconkov, President of the Organising Committee. The accolade marks Dr. Pearson’s consistent presence and seminal research papers presented at all ten editions of the Ohrid conferences.

Since its inception in 2005, the conference’s objective has been to dispel ambiguities and confusion surrounding ammonia and CO2 refrigeration technologies. Aiming to bridge the gap between industry and academia, the conference was set up to respond to the global transition towards natural refrigeration technology following global efforts to phase-down HFCs to mitigate the catastrophic implications of climate change.

This year, Dr. Pearson, who is also the Conference’s President of the Scientific Committee, initiated the conference proceedings with his research paper, ‘Energy Performance of Process Cooling Equipment,’ in which he explored the challenges in the benchmarking energy performance of cooling processes due to the great variety in system types and products processed. Pearson also called for the development of data banks for different products and processes with the assistance and input from operators, saying that the key in benchmarking is to start data collecting as soon as possible in order to build up a pattern, even if the means of processing the data is not yet established.

The conference further addressed topics such as the design of modern ammonia (NH3) and CO2 refrigeration and heat pump systems, energy efficiency, and safety and compliance issues associated with natural refrigerants.

A prominent industry expert, Dr. Pearson is known for his profound knowledge of industrial refrigeration, having published numerous research studies on energy-efficient design, compliance, and safety of ammonia and CO2 refrigeration technology over four decades. His research and pioneering work in the design and installation of refrigeration and heat pump systems such as the world’s first and largest ammonia district heat pump in Drammen, Norway, have earned him prestigious recognitions, including the International Environmental Agency’s Rittinger Medal and the J&E Hall Gold Medal from the Institute of Refrigeration.

Dr Pearson is an IOR and ASHRAE Fellow and advises on the Refrigeration Safety Technical Committees for the British Standards Institute (BSI), the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

On receiving the award, Dr. Pearson said, “I am honoured to receive this special plaque for for having presented at all ten Ohrid conferences. At Star Refrigeration, we remain committed to sharing innovative refrigeration knowledge and best practices underpinned by the most recent industry research.”

Star Refrigeration are a leading supplier of industrial ammonia and CO2 refrigeration and heat pump systems. With over 50 years of experience, the company is a total solutions provider, working in partnership with customers in the cold storage, pharmaceutical, food and drinks manufacturing, brewing, dairies data centres, building services, ice and leisure, petrochemical and district heating industries.

The IIR International Conference in Ohrid is a pivotal industry event for knowledge exchange on Ammonia and CO2 Refrigeration Technologies. For more information, visit https://iifiir.org/en/events/10th-iir-conference-on-ammonia-and-co2-refrigeration-technologies

To find out more about Star Refrigeration’s advancements in ammonia and CO2 refrigeration and heat pump technology, as well as their recent installations, visit https://www.star-ref.co.uk