Statement re Freezers

Unilever PLC
Unilever NV
4 September 2000


UNILEVER PLEDGES INTRODUCTION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FREEZERS

 
Unilever - the world's largest ice cream manufacturer - is pledging to step
up its move to more environmentally friendly refrigerants for its freezer
cabinets once a pilot scheme launched at the Olympics in Sydney Australia, to
demonstrate the safety and efficiency of the equipment, is successfully
completed.
 
Currently with some two million freezers worldwide, Unilever has already
started replacing them with equipment using hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants. It
plans to accelerate the programme on completion of the trials in February
next year as freezers are renewed in line with the company's replacement
policy.
 
Unilever's pledge is part of its continuing worldwide environmental
programme, full details of which are published today through Unilever's
web-site (www.unilever.com). (See separate announcement.)
 
The switch to HC will be progressive and dependent on national legislation,
but by year 2005 Unilever's purchasing policy for ice cream freezers will
discontinue the use of HFC* refrigerants, where commercially viable
alternatives, such as HC, can be legally used.
 
Bob Smith, Unilever's ice cream technical director: 'Since the early 90s we
have steadily shifted our freezers from ozone-depleting materials. HC
refrigerants, widely used in domestic refrigerators in Europe, are currently
the most promising alternative to HFC. The challenge has been to adopt HC for
the very low temperatures needed for commercial ice cream freezers. Unilever
already requires its freezer manufacturers to use HC for insulation foam
wherever this is permitted under local regulations.
 
'For the past three years we have been working with others to develop and
refine equipment capable of using HC as the coolant in commercial settings.
But this is an evolutionary process. In time we may well find that
alternative technologies can offer us even better solutions that allow us to
minimise energy use and the emission of gases with climate change potential.'

The Olympic trials will put 50 specially developed production-line freezers
to the sternest of tests, operating at -20degreesC in demanding conditions.
They will be monitored by Unilever's Australian ice cream business, Streets,
which will then transfer the freezers into the domestic market around Sydney.
In February 2001, a decision on the roll-out of the technology initially
across Australia will be taken.
 
'These trials will also examine the energy usage which accounts for most of
the global warming impact of an ice cream freezer cabinet,' said Mr Smith.
'From the experience gained in the Australian market we will work with an
increased number of refrigeration suppliers to meet the accelerated demand
for replacement freezers using more environmentally sound technology from
2005.'
 
 
* Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) are powerful greenhouse gases and are among those
materials covered by the Kyoto protocol on climate change.