Process, Controls & Plant Focus on: Process Cooling 26 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk Annual Buyers’ Guide 2026 As environmental and efficiency regulations tighten across UK manufacturing, Atlas Copco’s Chris Ferriday spoke to PWE about how policies such as the F-Gas phase-down and Ecodesign requirements are reshaping process cooling by driving long-term shifts in efficiency, refrigerant choice, and digital connectivity across industrial operations. Recent changes to environmental and energy-efficiency legislation have significantly altered how UK manufacturers approach process cooling. The combined impact of the EU’s FGas phase-down and Ecodesign requirements has made environmental responsibility a central factor in technical and investment decisions. “These policies have fundamentally changed how manufacturers approach process cooling,” says Chris Ferriday, Business Line Manager for Process Cooling Solutions at Atlas Copco. “The F-Gas phase-down, in particular, has accelerated the move away from high-GWP refrigerants and towards more sustainable, lowimpact alternatives. At the same time, Ecodesign requirements have placed efficiency at the heart of equipment design, pushing the industry to deliver measurable performance improvements rather than incremental gains.” Ferriday explains that this shift has affected every stage of Atlas Copco’s product development process. “For us, that has meant embedding compliance into the design stage – not just to meet current regulations, but to futureproof customers’ investments. When we developed the TCS range, for example, every model was designed with these rules in mind, ensuring that efficiency, sustainability and regulatory compliance are built in from day one.” Balancing regulation, cost and long-term sustainability As both regulation and energy costs tighten, manufacturers are reassessing how they evaluate investment in cooling equipment. “There’s definitely a shift happening,” Ferriday says. “Rising energy costs are now as much a driver as environmental policy, and both factors are forcing manufacturers to take a more strategic view of lifecycle performance. In the past, capital cost often dominated decisionmaking. Now, energy use and total cost of ownership are increasingly important.” He expects this focus to intensify as refrigerant options evolve. “We expect that trend to continue as F-Gas restrictions tighten further and as the next generation of ultra-lowGWP refrigerants becomes mainstream. At Atlas Copco, sustainability isn’t an add-on, it’s part of our core ethos, so our equipment and service models are evolving with that mindset.” For manufacturers who might only replace a chiller once a decade or more, keeping pace with policy changes can be demanding. Ferriday says this is where suppliers have a wider role. “Regulatory change can be complex to navigate, especially for customers who might only purchase a chiller every 10 or 15 years. Our role is not just to design compliant equipment but to act as a long-term partner. We help customers understand the implications of new legislation and ensure they’re making informed, future-proof decisions.” This support includes advising on new refrigerant technologies and efficiency upgrades. “That could mean advising when a new refrigerant technology becomes viable, or when upgraded control systems can deliver measurable efficiency gains. The goal is to prevent surprises, whether that’s a refrigerant no longer being available or a system falling short of new efficiency thresholds, and to support customers throughout the life of their equipment.” SEPR and the importance of lifecycle efficiency The introduction of the Seasonal Energy Performance Ratio (SEPR) has provided a more representative benchmark for energy efficiency in process cooling. Traditional measures such as the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) assess performance at a single, fixed operating point, which rarely reflects the varying conditions of real-world industrial use. “Traditional metrics such as the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) measure efficiency at a single operating point, which doesn’t reflect the realities of industrial cooling,” Ferriday explains. “The Seasonal Energy Performance Ratio (SEPR) is far more representative because it accounts for variable loads and changing ambient conditions over the full year.” He describes SEPR as an accessible way for customers to compare equipment performance: “It’s comparable to the energy rating label on a domestic appliance: it gives the user confidence that the system has been independently verified and benchmarked against defined conditions.” With energy prices fluctuating and carbon targets becoming more visible, customers have become more analytical about running costs. “The last few years, with energy price volatility and increasing awareness of environmental impact, have accelerated that shift,” Ferriday says. “Customers are now far more focused on efficiency and carbon savings. Energy performance is no longer a ‘nice to have’; it’s a critical purchasing factor.” He provides an example to illustrate the scale of potential savings. “Comparing a highefficiency TCS260 A HT chiller with a SEPR of 6.03 against a conventional unit rated at 5.01 shows an annual saving of around 72,000 kWh - roughly £18,000 per year at current energy prices - and an emissions reduction of nearly 19 tonnes of CO?. Over a typical ten-year lifecycle, those savings equate to more than £160,000 and a significant environmental benefit.” Expanding capability Atlas Copco’s acquisition of Eurochiller in 2019 has had a lasting effect on its process cooling portfolio. “When Atlas Copco acquired Eurochiller in 2019, we gained not just a Regulation, efficiency and the future of process cooling Chris Ferriday
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