The project will investigate energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from the transport, industrial and commercial refrigeration (TICR) sectors in the UK. These sectors which are major users of energy across many businesses will play a critical part in the UK’s net zero agenda. It will explore six subsectors in depth: datacentres, food and drink manufacturing sites, and chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, retail, cold stores and transport refrigeration units.

BEIS (the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) are funding this research project on the non-domestic cooling sector, to look into trends, emissions and innovation potential of decarbonising industrial and commercial refrigeration. 

Its aim is to identify innovation levers to facilitate sector-wide decarbonisation and achieve net zero. The work will run for two years and outputs will include roadmaps, sector-specific guidance, training and a programme of events in 2023/4. Its roadmaps and strategies for end users will be based on a comprehensive data-driven and whole systems evidence base. These outputs will be used to drive forward sector decarbonisation strategies and policies.     

The Institute of Refrigeration will be involved in project communications ensuring that the RACHP sector is kept informed of developments and has the opportunity to contribute to the drafts and consultations. The TICR project picks up on many themes of the IOR’s own Beyond Refrigeration environmental initiative aimed at end users and policymakers.

A website (www.netzerorefrigeration.uk) will be launched in January 2023 and will contain information about how businesses using cooling technologies and specialists in the sector can get involved in contributing to the research at an early stage.