Major Japanese OEM Hoshizaki debuted an isobutane (R600a) commercial refrigerator aimed at the Japanese hotel and restaurant sectors at the HOTERES Japan 2020 exhibition, held in Chiba, Japan, February 18 to 21.
Hoshizaki has long been providing hydrocarbon-based commercial refrigerators in the European market. In addition, several of Hoshizaki’s hydrocarbon-based commercial refrigeration units have been recently introduced into the Japanese market. For example, Japanese convenience store chain Lawson opened its first freon-free store in September 2019; it employs only natural refrigerant-based equipment, including CO2 equipment supplied by Panasonic and R290 and R600a plug-in equipment supplied by Hoshizaki.
However, the HOTERES introduction marks the first time the company has publicly introduced an R600a commercial refrigerator at a trade show to the Japanese market. The unit is available immediately, a Hoshizaki representative said.
