All superyachts have air conditioning and refrigeration installations for provisions, making them subject to increasingly stringent regulations regarding the use of coolants. Heinen & Hopman Engineering has developed an ingenious new system, the replacement chiller, which can replace the existing onboard facilities with a new state-of-the-art cooling system without the need to make openings in the hull. Heinen & Hopman’s replacement chillers are designed and manufactured as a building package and suitable for transporting through the doors of a superyacht.
As coolants such as chlorous CFKs and HCFKs deplete the ozone layer, agreements to gradually phase out these products were established in the Montreal protocol of 1989. Over time the European Union has further developed this convention with an accelerated prohibition date for ozone-depleting substances in EU regulation 2037/2000.
Under the terms of this regulation, HCFKs (such as R22) have been banned from use in new installations since 2000 and for service and maintenance purposes since 2010. Although regenerated (recycled) HCFKs can still be used until 2015, they will also be prohibited and only (non-chlorous) HFKs will be permitted.
“It is clear that yacht owners will have to act sooner rather than later,” says Joep Hopman, director at Heinen & Hopman. “One of the greatest challenges with replacing a chiller installation is the difficulty of gaining access. This expensive and time-consuming operation involves cutting into the hull, removing the existing chiller and mounting a new one in its place. Now, with our innovative line of custom replacement chillers, Heinen & Hopman offers a new way of overcoming this hurdle.”
The Heinen & Hopman method allows the easy disassembly and reassembly of the cooling system. The system is designed in-house, manufactured in the company’s own production facilities in the Netherlands, fully tested in its own testing area, disassembled, brought on board, reassembled and made operational. Heinen & Hopman’s facilities in Barcelona, Antibes and La Specia can also perform this service.
“Another key choice that owners have to make is whether to refit - which can lead to a loss of capacity and a risk of leakage - or to install a new installation with a similar design that uses a new type of coolant,” adds Hopman. “The benefits of a new installation include operational security and a capacity guarantee. More efficient energy consumption and the availability of components are further advantages of Heinen & Hopman’s replacement chiller system.” The chillers are available in standard sea water or fresh water cooled versions with a cooling capacity of 20, 30 & 40 TR, 2-Stage and 40, 50 & 60 TR, 3-Stage. Fully custom built solutions are available upon request, right down to the paint colour and cooling capacities up to unlimited levels.
Heinen & Hopman
+31 (0) 33 2992500
[email protected]
www.heinenhopman.com