Star Refrigeration showcases industry leadership at IIR International Conference on Refrigeration
Star Refrigeration is proud to announce that six of its leading experts have been selected to present eight research papers at the 2025 IIR International Conference on Refrigeration – Adapting to Rising Temperatures, Adaptation 2025.
Held in Manchester from 10th – 13th August 2025, this inaugural conference organised by the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) and the UK’s Institute of Refrigeration (IOR), brings together global researchers, engineers, and industry professionals to discuss the latest advancements in sustainable refrigeration technologies and the urgent need for the cooling sector to adapt to rising global temperatures.
A sponsor of the conference, Star Refrigeration offers technical contributions spanning critical issues affecting refrigeration and the cold chain performance, particularly in the face of climate change, energy efficiency demands, and decarbonisation goals.
Among the presentations is A Case Study: The Replacement of a Central Ammonia Plant System with Modular Low Charge Ammonia Package Units for a Cold Storage Distribution Facility, by Max McLuskie. The paper details how a 1970s ammonia system was replaced with modern, low-charge modular units, offering enhanced energy performance and leak reduction – a strong example of future-ready cold store design.
In Selecting the Correct Ambient Temperature and Its Impact on Plant Performance: Theory vs Reality, Tom Woolston examines the real-world implications of climate data on refrigeration efficiency, critical insights between design conditions and operational outcomes across three temperature controlled facilities in the UK.
Professor Judith Evan and Dr Alan Foster of LSBU, working alongside Dr Dermot Cotter, have co-authored three papers that explore vulnerabilities in the cold chain and identify the necessary changes to ensure refrigeration systems remain efficient as temperatures continue to rise.
The first one, How Vulnerable Are UK Food Cold Chains to Climate Change, evaluates whether current cold chain systems can withstand predicted climate extremes. Their findings suggest a pressing need for revised temperature design standards to improve future resilience.
In Are UK Refrigeration Design Specifications Fit for Current and Future Climate?, the exponents explore the growing risk of high ambient temperatures, with projections showing UK summer peaks exceeding 40°C. The research highlights that many existing refrigeration systems are already struggling during heatwaves, often requiring operators to reduce load to maintain performance. Without intervention, this situation is likely to worsen, which highligths the need for both short term and longer-term adaptation strategies.
Their third and final presentation, Making Refrigeration Systems More Efficient Whilst Adapting to Rising Temperatures, addresses the importance of future-proof system design in the race toward net zero, unpacking the dual benefit of peak temperature adaptation and year-round energy optimisation.
As well as chairing the conference’s opening and closing ceremonies, Star’s Group Managing Director Andy Pearson delivers two impactful papers. The first, Eliminating Internal Haemorrhage in Hot Gas Defrost Systems, explores performance optimisation in ammonia systems through better maintenance and design.
The second, Strategies for Adaptation by Augmenting System Capacity, offers solutions for improving cold store reliability while extending the lifespan of ageing infrastructure.
Also on the programme, Star engineers Nicola Miller and Danny McDougall present a case study titled Energy Savings by Replacing a Large Capacity Fixed Speed Compressor with a Lower Capacity VSD Compressor For Low Load Optimisation in Refrigerated Distribution, showcasing the remarkable energy savings achieved through retrofit innovation in refrigerated distribution.
Dr Cotter, Managing Director of Star Refrigeration consultancy arm, Star Technical Solutions, said, “Sponsoring this event is part of our ongoing mission to support innovation and share knowledge across the sector. Adaptation 2025 provides an important platform for collaboration, and we’re pleased to be part of it”
“Our technical teams are bringing a combination of in depth data analysis and real-world insights from installed systems to the discussion. The papers draw on both research and operational experience developed across the business and highlight the challenges we see on the ground along with practical solutions that support the transition to a more sustainable and resilient future for the cooling industry.”
“Additionally, I’m also pleased to see our collaborative work on the early development of a UK Code of Practice for Rising Temperatures in the Refrigeration Industry, which was undertaken with the IOR, FETA, CIBSE, IMechE, CFF, BISRA, LSBU and the Environment Agency, being shared at the conference.”
To view the full list of Star Refrigeration’s papers and detailed session summaries, visit the Adaptation 2025 conference programme on https://www.conftool.org/adaptation2025/index.php?page=browseSessions&presentations=show&search=star+refrigeration
For more information about the 1st IIR International Conference on Refrigeration Adapting to Rising Temperatures (Adaptation 2025), visit https://ior.org.uk/events/adaptation2025
For more information about Star Refrigeration, visit wordpress-1289323-5863149.cloudwaysapps.com