Operational resilience and energy security in food manufacturing through sustainable cooling

The world is changing at an unprecedented pace. Regulatory changes, political instability, economic uncertainty, and the rapid rise of energy intensive industries, such as data centres, are placing immense pressure on national power supplies.

The food and drink manufacturing sector is one of the pillars of the UK economy, accounting for 17% of total manufacturing turnover in 2021 and employing 468,000 people—23% of the country’s total manufacturing workforce. The UK is also home to some of Europe’s largest food and drink production sites.

Recent research presented by Dr. Dermott Cotter (Star Refrigeration) and Dr. Catarina Marques (London South Bank University) and funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), highlights the sector’s significant energy demand, particularly for thermal processes used to chill, freeze, or blast freeze products. The study estimates that the industry’s refrigeration related emissions amount to 392 ktCO₂e (Scope 1 from refrigerant leakage) and 606 ktCO₂e (Scope 2 from energy consumption) annually, with refrigeration alone consuming 2.85 TWh of energy each year.

With AI applications set to increase and the UK’s data centre energy consumption set to rise from 0.45% to nearly 6% in the coming years, food manufacturers must prepare for a future where energy security might need to be prioritised to cope with the current grid infrastructure. Against this backdrop, the cold chain industry is making the case to Government for it to be recognised as Critical National Infrastructure to ensure it receives the necessary resources and support to maintain food security and resilience.

Star Refrigeration, alongside industry stakeholders, is actively engaging with policymakers to strengthen the future of the food manufacturing sector. Last week, company representatives joined the Cold Chain Federation, Prof. Judith Evans (South Bank University), Jenny McDonnel (Innovate UK Business Connect), and other industry leaders at Westminster to discuss with Bill Esterson, MP Chair of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee and the APPG for Manufacturing, key policy issues, including decarbonisation, financial support, infrastructure, and regulatory development.

Securing energy efficiency and resilience

One of the most pressing challenges food manufacturers face today is ensuring their refrigeration systems operate as efficiently as possible to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact. There are three key areas where food manufacturers can take action:

Optimising existing refrigeration systems and regular maintenance routines

Retrofitting existing refrigeration systems with advanced AI-led energy optimisation technologies offers a low-cost solution to reduce energy demand, improve efficiency and extend equipment lifespan. New energy optimisation technology, specifically designed for industrial cooling equipment, uses digital twin systems and bespoke algorithms to provide real time insights into plant performance. By identifying inefficiencies and simulating ‘what if’ operational scenarios, these systems help make data-driven maintenance and strategic decisions to cut operational costs.

Transitioning to energy efficient technologies with low GWP refrigerants

A 2017 Food and Drink Federation report identified R-404A (GWP 3,922), R-410A (GWP 2,088), and R-134a (GWP 1,430) as the most widely used F-gas refrigerants in the sector, each having thousands of times the warming impact of CO₂. The more recent Cold Chain Federation report issued in 2024 also found that 42% of cold chain facilities still rely on F-gases.

The existing UK F-gas regulation sets out the industry wide challenge to phase down reliance on high GWP refrigerants in favour of sustainable alternatives.

As the UK Government evaluates amending the regulation to set more challenging targets in line with what is already in place across the EU, food manufacturers must brace for potential refrigerant shortages and rising prices due to restricted quotas. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has advised the UK to align its regulations with EU standards, which could require a 73% reduction in F-gas emissions by 2040.

The European F-gas regulation sets stringent market prohibitions on systems containing refrigerants with more than 150 GWP values, with bans taking effect from 2025 for self-contained refrigeration systems and extending to all other equipment by 2030. A ban on placing chiller equipment onto the market containing gases with a GWP equal to or higher than 750 comes into effect from 2027.

These regulations also impose tighter servicing and maintenance restrictions, further reducing availability and increasing costs for businesses that continue using F-gases.

As of January 2025, a ban on using virgin HFCs to service existing refrigeration equipment that uses a refrigerant with a GWP of 2,500 or more applies. By 2032, the restriction drops to refrigerants with more than 750 GWP. Additionally, from 2030 onwards a restriction on the service of equipment with refrigerants with a GWP of more than 2500 for reclaimed/recycled refrigerants will apply.

Leading food manufacturers are already making the shift to natural alternatives. First Milk, for example, replaced its R-404A-based refrigeration system with a low-charge ammonia system. This transition not only ensured compliance with the phase-down requirements but also exceeded UK Ecodesign efficiency standards by 75.2%, boosting cheese output by nearly 30% while reducing energy consumption.

Minimising energy demand of cooling systems

An ageing refrigeration infrastructure means that proactive steps are needed to ensure cost efficiency, and safeguard operations against energy supply uncertainty. A high percentage of the sector’s existing refrigeration systems are over two decades old, and although functional they are increasingly costly to maintain.

Operational resilience is like a puzzle; when all the right pieces are in place, businesses can secure long-term success. Upgrading to energy efficient refrigeration systems is one such piece. For example, a leading company replaced its 20-year-old ammonia pump circulation system with a low charge ammonia alternative. The outdated system required an estimated £400,000 in service and upgrade costs over four years, plus £180,000 in annual running costs. By investing in a modern, high efficiency system, the company cut energy costs by £40,000 – £60,000 per month, achieving a return on investment in under a year.

Similarly, integrating cooling and heating processes with a heat pump can achieve efficiencies five to ten times higher than traditional systems and eliminate the need for gas or electric boilers.  An ammonia heat pump installed at a chocolate factory in England provides cooling to 0^oC while at the same time heating a closed loop heating system to 60^oC. Up to 1.25MW of heat can be generated for an additional electrical input (over what is needed for cooling) of only 230 kW, making it around five and a half time more efficient than using fossil fuels. The upgrade delivered over 50% in energy savings, cutting costs by £1.38 million. With a capital investment of just under £4.0 million, the project achieved a payback period of under three years. Since a like for like replacement would have cost around £3.0 million, the additional investment in an integrated heating and cooling heat pump system paid for itself in less than a year.

Likewise, modern energy-efficient infrastructure, including high performance insulation, LED lighting, advanced control systems, thermal storage and renewable energy sources form the final piece of the puzzle.

In the face of evolving financial, energy and environmental challenges, the future of food manufacturing depends on strategic investment in resilient, energy-efficient operations.