Ekkapong Tangsirimanakul is the Managing Director of Patana Intercool, a Thailand-based manufacturer and exporter of commercial refrigerators and display cases for supermarkets, convenience stores, cafes and restaurants. Mr. Tangsirimanakul is convinced that companies should offer clients the right refrigeration solutions and recognises the huge potential of natural refrigerant-based technologies.
What benefits do you see in this green cooling technology?
There are three major benefits. Natural refrigerant helps us reduce costs in the long term, sustains our business model and boosts customers’ confidence in our products. With R290, the amount of refrigerant that is charged into each unit is reduced by half. Green refrigerant has close to zero global warming potential (GWP). All of this prepares us for the trend in the market where more and more customers demand green products.
How do you convince your customers about this new refrigerant?
We are committed to offering our clients the right cooling configuration and best available solutions. We inform our clients of the benefits they will gain in terms of energy saving, reduced charge size and the green aspect while also addressing their safety and maintenance concerns. To do this, we invited our customers to see how the refrigerant reacted when ignited in order to show them that it is safe to use. We also actively train our customers’ technicians so they are confident working with the new technology.
With more companies turning to green cooling technology, the climate-damaging substances are by default being disrupted.
What message would you like to give to those considering the transition?
For us at Patana, we choose to be sustainable in what we do and deliver the best solutions and services to our customers. We do not want to be a leader in the business only in terms of growth but also to influence the sector in the right and sustainable way. Now, we are happy to be working alongside our clients in making a positive impact on the environment.