Beyond their impact on wine quality, refrigeration systems must comply with increasingly stringent regulations regarding energy efficiency and environmental performance. The partnership between Axima Réfrigération and Les Vignerons Indépendants aims to support producers in complying with the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) and the European F-gas Regulation. These changes are being implemented to accelerate the wine industry’s transition toward more sustainable farm management. This commitment to environmental excellence complements Les Vignerons Indépendants’ efforts to promote the “High Environmental Value” (HVE) and “Organic Wine” (BIO) certifications among its members and consumers.

Specifically, Axima Réfrigération focuses on refrigerants and pressure equipment. Accounting for 5% of greenhouse gas emissions in France, refrigerants represent a major environmental challenge for the government. To reduce their impact, the government has established new, very strict standards, banning the use of certain refrigerants deemed too polluting or subjecting their use to quota systems. For example, the use of R22 refrigerant for maintenance has been banned since 2015. Winemakers whose refrigeration units are equipped with this refrigerant have been unable to recharge them in the event of a leak since that date. Since 2020, certain HFC refrigerants, such as R404A or R507, may only be used if they are recycled. Furthermore, the majority of HFC refrigerants—R134a and R410A—are subject to very restrictive quotas, which affect price volatility and their availability in the medium term. To address these various challenges, experts at Axima Réfrigération have developed innovative refrigeration solutions using natural (CO₂, NH₃, HC) or low-carbon (HFO) refrigerants. These solutions offer significant environmental benefits without compromising the energy efficiency of the systems. These solutions also enable energy savings of approximately 20 to 30 percent on a chiller’s electricity consumption.

Furthermore, changes in regulations governing pressure equipment—which classify and regulate equipment types based on their level of hazard—require wine-making facilities to comply with these standards. As of January 1, 2022, this equipment must be listed in a dedicated administrative file.

“Through this partnership, we are pleased to be able to rely on Axima Réfrigération’s recognized expertise to support our winemakers in the field with refrigeration management—a skill that is becoming an increasingly important aspect of winemaking. Environmental excellence thus contributes to the quality of the products that are our pride and joy around the world,” explains Thierry Motte, Secretary General of the Union of Independent Winemakers of France.

“Through our innovative solutions, we want to enable winemakers to focus on their craft without having to worry about the technical aspects of refrigeration. That is the whole purpose of our self-assessment tool: to provide every winemaker with a simple method to evaluate the compliance, energy and environmental performance, and lifespan of their equipment. This allows us to provide a customized solution to improve and optimize these installations for the benefit of wine quality and all stakeholders in an increasingly sustainable industry,” concludes Bernard Gros, Wine Project Manager at Equans France.