Colombian manufacturer Weston has installed what it said is the “first waterloop technology store in Mexico,” with a circuit connecting the self-contained propane (R290) equipment.
The circuit connects each piece of equipment in the small-format store, which is located in Jalisco, via a plate heat exchanger, with heat rejected through a dry cooler outside the store. Weston replaced the existing R404A refrigeration units with propane, cutting the store’s refrigerant charge by 90%. The waterloop system was installed during a remodel.
David Osma, Project Engineer at Weston, explained the technology and highlighted installations in a presentation at ATMOsphere (ATMO) LATAM 2025. The event was held February 19‒20 in Mexico City and was organized by ATMOsphere, publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com.
“With the high temperatures in Latin America, small format-stores with self-contained equipment have oversized ACs,” Osma said. “The waterloop provides a simple but efficient system to extract heat from the store, with an outdoor water pump and dry cooler.”
With operations in 17 Latin American countries, Weston designs, manufactures, installs and services R290 and CO2 (R744) refrigeration systems for commercial and industrial applications.
The Jalisco project: As part of the retrofit, Weston installed upright refrigerated display cabinets for meats, fruits and vegetables, charcuterie and pastries; walk-in coolers; and hot cabinets at different temperatures for chicken and bread. The store opened in October 2024.
- Besides cutting the refrigerant charge and AC load, the system “reduced the CO2e emissions to zero,” with the store powered in part by photovoltaic panels installed on the roof, according to Osma.
- “It’s a low-noise compact system for urban convenience stores,” he said, adding that it also provides redundancy.
Applicability: “The waterloop technology with R290 self-contained equipment works well for small- or medium-sized stores,” Osma said.
- The company has also installed the system in a 85kW (24.2TR) refrigeration capacity warehouse in Mexico.
Challenges: Osma outlined issues facing R290 technology adoption in Latin America.
- Regulations, especially in Colombia, restrict HFCs and outline standards for R290. “[However,] we need to raise the awareness of the natural refrigerant to help end users make comprehensive decisions,” Osma said.
- “To improve services, we need to also invest in technician training,” he added.
- The availability of R290 components on the market hinders the rapid uptake of the technology. Nevertheless, Osma noted that some local manufacturers stock various parts, including valves, solenoids and filters.
Quotable: “All of our customers are demanding natural refrigerants, although they don’t know how to implement them,” Osma said. “We adapt our solutions to the local weather, the client and the available natural refrigerant technology.”
