Original equipment manufacturing

OEM stands for the Group's own production of environmentally friendly refrigeration units and heat pumps, mainly based on natural refrigerants such as CO2, ammonia and propane. Beijer Ref offers competitive solutions in both individual standard products and customised overall concepts, adapted to customers' specific needs.

The Group has its own production of refrigeration units in Italy, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, South Africa, Thailand, China and Australia. This segment is constantly growing, especially due to the regulatory changes brought about by the European F-Gas Regulation. This regulation means that environmentally harmful refrigerants will be gradually phased out by 2030, driving demand for environmentally friendly alternatives.

Beijer Ref - Leading in environmentally friendly refrigeration technology

Beijer Ref is an industry leader in the development and manufacture of environmentally friendly refrigeration technology. By being at the forefront of technological development, the business drives its expansion and contributes to a necessary transition to refrigerants with low climate impact.

Beijer Ref is committed to delivering high-quality and sustainable solutions that fulfil both customer requirements and the stringent environmental standards that apply internationally. By constantly developing and improving its products, the business ensures it is at the forefront of environmentally friendly refrigeration technology. This strategy helps Beijer Ref to meet the increasing demands for sustainability and energy efficiency globally.

World-leading technology that meets regulatory requirements

Proprietary green technology is one of the business areas that is growing the most for Beijer Ref, with continued strong development in 2023. The Group was an early adopter of proprietary green refrigeration technology based on natural refrigerants with low GWP (Global Warming Potential) values. Today, Beijer Ref is a world leader in this area and is working methodically to increase its green proprietary production, while the business utilises its global distribution network to disseminate the technology.

By leading the way, Beijer Ref is helping the market to transition in line with regulatory requirements. The EU F-Gas Regulation from 2015 means a phase-out of ozone-depleting fluorinated hydrocarbons (HFCs) by 2030. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol from 2016 is driving this phase-out on other continents as well, including the United States, which adopted the amendment in 2022.

Grocery stores were among the first to switch technologies. Today, around 30% of Europe's more than 250 000 grocery stores use environmentally friendly refrigeration systems, and the transition is rapidly spreading to logistics centres, process industries, petrol stations and the HORECA segment. District heating plants and industries are also switching to environmentally friendly heat pumps, and demand is expected to increase significantly in the coming years.

The need to switch to green technology is growing. Through the Beijer Ref Academy training initiative, customers and end customers are trained in solutions based on natural refrigerants, which increases the pace of the transition. The training programmes focus on the installation of the new, more technically complex green technology.

Global manufacturing based in Italy

Italy is currently the centre of Beijer Ref's research and development of refrigeration technology based on carbon dioxide (CO2). The subsidiary SCM Frigo specialises in the development of refrigeration units and acts as a knowledge centre for Beijer Ref's factories in Sweden, the Netherlands, Thailand, Australia, China and South Africa. Beijer Ref is the only refrigeration wholesaler in the world with global manufacturing of green refrigeration technology.

In 2022, a new factory was established in Italy that includes production, warehousing and the Beijer Ref Academy training centre. The factory, which now covers 13,000 m2, is being expanded by a further 3,000 m2 to increase production in line with demand. The goal is to more than double Beijer Ref's production of environmentally friendly technology in Europe.

Danish technology for environmentally friendly heat pumps

In 2021, Beijer Ref acquired the Danish refrigeration technology company Fenagy, which has developed a new range of industrial heat pumps and refrigeration systems based on CO2. The technology is used, among other things, by district heating plants that convert electricity using heat pumps. Beijer Ref is leading the development of large industrial heat pumps and works closely with suppliers to ensure the availability of the right size compressors.

Fenagy's technology has created significant demand due to its cost effectiveness and environmental benefits. By integrating Fenagy into Beijer Ref's structure for product development, purchasing and customer support, further benefits are achieved. In 2023, sales of Fenagy's technology increased by more than 100 per cent, and demand is expected to grow by more than 30 per cent annually. An upcoming product development programme aims to create heat pumps for smaller units based on similar technology, which has high potential.