HEINEKEN develops a world-class efficient refrigerator: iCOOL

HEINEKEN is an end-user partner of a consortium created to develop a much more efficient commercial refrigerator known as the iCOOL. This project is another step towards our strategy to reduce CO₂ emissions across our operations.

The iCOOL project was completed in 2013, with a prototype tested before it is to be rolled out commercially in the coming years. Advancements in the technology allow the size of the cooling system to be reduced and insulation to be improved, thereby significantly increasing the energy efficiency of commercial beverage coolers. To achieve this, a small modification to existing cooling designs is the primary requirement, made possible by this unique patent-protected technology.

Multiple stakeholders were involved in developing iCOOL, with financial support from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7). HEINEKEN’s involvement consisted of setting the correct design specifications, providing the test standards and giving technical and commercial guidance for the different stages of the project.

Compared with a standard commercial refrigerator from 2010, the iCOOL prototype delivers more than an 80% improvement in energy consumption (measured as kilowatt/hour per annum).

The commercial launch of iCOOL is currently being explored.

Click here to learn more about our approach to CO2 reduction.

Brewing a Better Future: It is HEINEKEN's strategy for creating shared, sustainable value: for our company, for society and for the planet. And it is fundamental to how we do business. Developed with our stakeholders and based on insight into global trends, our strategy focuses on the four areas where we can make the biggest difference: water, CO2, local sourcing and responsible consumption. These are underpinned by our values and behaviours: living our values, leading by example, and working together to make a difference.