USE OF PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS IN FISHERY TRANSPORT PRACTICE PAPER 4 SUBMITTED BY: Development Environergy Services Limited AUGUST 2022 © 2022 The World Bank 1818 H Street NW, Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000; Internet: www.worldbank.org Some rights reserved This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. ABSTRACT To facilitate the adoption of best practices in terms of energy efficiency technologies, refrigerants with low global warming potential (GWP), and promoting cold chains based on low ozone depleting substances (ODS) this practice paper explores technologies and practices to reduce the use of ice in the transport of produce to reduce GHG emissions as well as reduce water consumption in the fishery sector transport. CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................................................... 4 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 5 2. MODES OF TRANSPORT FOR FISHERY AND AQUACULTURE .................................................... 5 1. INSULATED TRUCKS .................................................................................................................6 Availability ........................................................................................................................................6 Benefits ............................................................................................................................................7 Limitations ........................................................................................................................................7 2. REEFER TRUCKS.......................................................................................................................7 Availability ........................................................................................................................................7 Benefits ............................................................................................................................................7 Limitations ........................................................................................................................................7 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................8 3. SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................8 3. ANALYSIS OF PCM TECHNOLOGY FOR REPLACING ICE ........................................................ 9 PCM Lined Trucks ...........................................................................................................................9 4. CURRENT POLICY ......................................................................................................................... 12 5. ROLE OF WOMEN ........................................................................................................................ 13 6. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 13 FIGURES Figure 1: Schematic flow of fishery and aquaculture material .................................................................5 Figure 2: An insulated truck for transport of fish ......................................................................................6 Figure 3: Fish packed in thermocol boxes with ice ..................................................................................6 Figure 4: Fish packed in plastic crates with ice .......................................................................................6 Figure 5: A reefer truck used for transporting fish ...................................................................................7 Figure 6: Details of ice usage in various value chains for transport ........................................................9 TABLES Table 1: Summary of various assessments .............................................................................................8 Table 2: Summary of various assessments of the alternatives .............................................................11 Table 3: Summary of various assessment for the switch to alternatives ..............................................14 ABBREVIATIONS ACRONYM FULL FORM CFC Chlorofluorocarbon DESL Development Environergy Services Limited DOF Department of Fisheries FIDF Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development GHG Greenhouse Gases GRP Glass-reinforced plastic GWP Global warming potential IMC Indian major carp ODS Ozone depleting substances PCM Phase change material PMMSY Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana PUF Polyurethane Foam TEESOL Thermal Energy Service Solutions Pvt. Ltd. 1. INTRODUCTION The fishery and aquaculture produce move through various stages between the source (harvest/catch) to the consumption (Export from the port or domestic consumption) and transportation is involved between these stages as shown in the figure below: Aquaculture Wholesale farm Processing market unit Transport Port for Landing site export Sourcing Processing Consumption Figure 1: Schematic flow of fishery and aquaculture material During these stages, these climate sensitive products need to be maintained at specified low temperatures using thermal and refrigerated packaging methods. The desired low temperatures are maintained during the transport of the material with ice or using reefer trucks. The typical holding time for the transport between the farm/landing site to the processing unit is a maximum of an hour everyday in case of insulated trucks and a maximum of 2 hours every working day for reefer trucks from processing unit to port. There are cases of the use of insulated trucks for transport from aquaculture farm/landing site to wholesale market where the maximum time taken for transport is up to 20 hours. There are only about 10,000 1 reefers operating in India. Therefore, ice in insulated trucks is the major means of maintaining the desired cooling during transit for the fishery sector in India. However, the use of ice increases the GHG intensity of transport 2 in insulated trucks. In this practice paper, technologies, and practices to reduce the use of ice in the transport of produce have been explored thereby reducing the GHG emissions as well as reduced water consumption in the fishery sector transport. 2. MODES OF TRANSPORT FOR FISHERY AND AQUACULTURE 1 https://www.coolingindia.in/cold-chain-logistics-and-refrigeration-using-pcm/ 2 Specific GHG emission is 88 kgCO2/t of ice It is important to maintain the appropriate temperature of the fishery and the aquaculture products during storage and transport to avoid discoloration, foul smell, and microbial spoilage3. The prevailing modes of transport used in the sector has been explored below: 1. INSULATED TRUCKS Insulated trucks are vehicles whose body is equipped with a layer of insulating materials, which limits heat transfer between the inner and outer surfaces. Figure 2: An insulated truck for transport of fish (Image courtesy - Chaphekar Engineering) The trucks are loaded with the marine/ aquaculture produce by stuffing them with crushed ice inside plastic crates/thermocol boxes to maintain low temperatures during transport. For shorter distances, generally under 3-4 hours, plastic crates are preferred whereas for longer distances (Interstate travels), thermocol boxes are preferred instead of plastic crates to provide better insulation and maintain lower temperatures. In a South Asian country like Bangladesh, use insulated trucks for transportation of fish to markets is the prevailing mode and smaller amounts of fish is carried by tempo4. Figure 3: Fish packed in thermocol boxes with ice Figure 4: Fish packed in plastic crates with ice Availability The Insulated trucks are bought/financed either by the processing units or by transport companies. The containers mounted on the trucks are generally insulated with a layer of insulating materials such as thermocol and rice husk. The average price 5 of these trucks range from 15,024 - 31,300 USD6 depending on the model, size, and the company etc. The 3 https://www.fao.org/3/v3630e/v3630e03.html 4 Fish carrying transporters in different fish markets of Rajshahi 5 https://vaishnu.com/ashok-leyland-trucks-in-india/ 6 1 USD = 79.87 INR ; 1 USD = 100 ¢ major truck manufacturers in India are of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat are Eicher, Tata motors and Ashok Leyland motors. Benefits The trucks are readily available in the market, and they are much cheaper (40-50%) than reefer trucks. As the containers on these trucks are only insulated and not climate controlled, they are cheaper to operate and consume less diesel per trip they make. Limitations The lack of climate control leads to a shorter range, heavy reliance on ice. The specific ice consumption for these trucks is 2 kg of ice per kg of produce transported, which also has a direct impact on the GHG emissions. Moreover, due to the use of ice the capacity of the container decreases significantly, and it was estimated that 10% of the container capacity is used by the crates/ polystyrene boxes and 40-50%7 is taken up by the ice which significantly reduces the amount of produce that can be transported in a single trip. 2. REEFER TRUCKS The terms “reefer container” and “reefer” are short forms of the phrase “refrigerated container.” These containers maintain a stable temperature inside while controlling humidity and promoting adequate airflow without the use of ice. The reefer shipping container’s climate control functionality keeps the products inside from spoiling. The reefer containers are mounted on the trucks and consume diesel to run its refrigeration system to maintain a low temperature. Figure 5: A reefer truck used for transporting fish Availability As stated in the context section, there are only about 10,000 reefer trucks currently operating across India. Reefer trucks are generally 40-50% more expensive than insulated trucks with an average price of 25,000 - 50,000 USD8 depending on the size, capacity, and the specifications of the reefer. The major reefer manufacturers in the India are of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat are Eicher, Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland Motors. Benefits Climate control helps maintain low temperatures in the container throughout the journey. The produce can be transported over long distances (Inter-state) without the need of ice, moreover, the absence of ice also leaves more space for the produce, hence more produce can be transported in a single trip. Limitations The refrigeration system of the reefer’s containers consumes the truck’s diesel which leads to a reduced fuel economy (2-3 km/l)9. The operational and maintenance costs are increased due to the refrigeration system. 7 % varies depending on the value chain and the target variety 8 https://vaishnu.com/ashok-leyland-trucks-in-india/ 9 https://www.xtralease.com/about/news-articles Conclusion The high initial investment required for the reefer trucks makes the insulated trucks the first choice of the fish processing units. 3. SUMMARY The financial, economic, and environmental assessment of different modes of transport have been summarized in the table below: Table 1: Summary of various assessments Assessment Parameter Unit Insulated Reefer Specific capital expenditure ¢/t of fish 13.4 11.5 Financial Specific operational expenditure10 USD/t of fish 108 3.61 Space utilization % 33% 100% Employment (Transportation Person/t of exclusively) fish/trip 0.43 0.11 Economical Currently the Currently the employment is employment is provided in driving of provided in driving of Employment - transportation and in transportation and in ice supply for ice supply for transport transport Air particulate g/t of fish/y 158 74 emissions (PM10) The ice consumption currently practiced The complete saving Stress on water - use of 2 kg ice per kg of ice occurs by 2 kg of fish of ice per kg of fish Specific GHG (Fuel kgCO2/t of + Ice) emission fish/trip 194 8 Environmental Specific GHG (Refrigerant) kgCO2/t of emission fish/trip 0 5 Energy Specific energy kJ/kg of fish/trip 1,150 119 ★ Note: A trip is equivalent to 100 km and 300 operating days per year has been considered per truck Due to higher upfront cost the Insulated trucks are a highly sought-after option. The high specific capital expenditure involved in the insulated truck stems from the space utilization by ice (around 67%) for cooling causing less space available for the fish. The specific operational expenditure of the Insulated trucks per trip is almost 30 times the reefer truck making the reefer truck an attractive option. Further it is noted that there has been no loss of material during transportation 11 and reefer trucks have lowered 10 Fuel cost + Ice cost 11 Stakeholders consultation in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat particulate emission by 53% in comparison to the insulated trucks. From the specific GHG emissions per trip the reefer truck has a clear advantage over the insulated trucks. 3. ANALYSIS OF PCM TECHNOLOGY FOR REPLACING ICE The specific ice consumption for transport of the product is 2 kg of ice/kg of fish10 in case of insulated trucks and the subsequent specific GHG emissions from the ice was 176 kgCO 2/t. As for the reefer truck the 3.5 l/h of diesel is used for cooling fish 10. There is no material loss during transport in all the prevailing modes of transport available for fish. The summary of the details of transport of material and ice usage are depicted in the figure below: Figure 6: Details of ice usage in various value chains for transport The transport process relies heavily on the use of ice or diesel for maintaining a low temperature during the journey. The specific ice consumption is 2.0 kg of ice per kg of the product transported in the case of insulated trucks. Incase of reefer trucks, the cooling requirement is provided by the diesel of 3.5 l/h 12. The alternatives to reduce the ice consumption leading to elimination and reduction of GHG are the Cryogenic transport refrigerator 13 and the PCM lined container. The first alternative of cryogenic transport uses cryogenic fuel such as liquid carbon dioxide for cooling the interior of the storage container. The other alternative is the PCM lined container which does not consume ice leading to elimination of GHG emissions and reduction in water consumption, use of eutectic Phase Change Materials (PCM) was reviewed. PCMs can absorb, store, and release large amounts of latent heat over a defined temperature range when the material changes phase or state. PCM Lined Trucks Retrofitting of trucks used for transportation of the product with PCM plates is considered to replace the existing ones for transporting the product using ice. PCMs were chosen due to their low melting and freezing points, high latent heat transfer over a defined temperature range when the material changes phase or state and because they are economical as well as non-hazardous to use14. The PCM assures the maintenance of required cooling for several hours and minimizes the dependency on diesel in the vehicles thereby reducing operating cost and emissions 15. Success stories were developed based on consultation with a few technology suppliers to evaluate the benefits of the technology. 12 Stakeholder consultation at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh . 13 Technology Assessment : Transport Refrigerators, Air Resource Board (CEPA) 14 A review about phase change material cold storage systems applied to solar-powered air-conditioning systems. 1. Zheng L, Zhang W, Liang F. 15 PCM products and their fields of application - An overview of the state in 2020/2021, Journal of energy storage Success story 1: PCM in trucks A private company, Thermal Energy Service Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (TEESOL) creates custom transport refrigeration systems that use PCM. The trucks lined with PCM can provide desired temperatures across the -25°C to +25°C range. HOW IT WORKS16? A charger consisting of a compressor runs on electricity and freezes the Phase Change Material (PCM) in the heat exchangers inside the container in an initial charge of 6-8 hours. Once frozen, the required temperature is maintained for 12-14 hours, depending on usage. The system also maintains a uniform temperature due to the PCM plates across the container The PCM plates can be recharged using the onboard compressor (refrigerant R404A based) which can automatically charge the PCMs during travel using temperature monitoring by sensors. The company claims that the technology can be used for successfully replacing the current trucks using ice and subsequently help in reducing the GHG emissions. Success story 2: PCM in trucks A private company, Rinac India limited uses specially designed trucks called as Chill Karts, that are retrofitted with glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) and rigid polyurethane foam (PUF) sandwich panels manufactured using patented formo-bonding technology with CFC-free foaming process result in an insulated truck body lined with PCM panels 17 The PCM lined truck can be charged by an outlet before embarking on the journey. According to the data gathered during consultations with the company, the official claimed that this PCM refrigerated truck requires no ice and external fuel to refrigerate, instead maintains cold temperatures during transportation with the help of the PCM plates placed inside the insulated truck body and they can maintain a temperature range of -15℃ to -25℃ which can be maintained for 10—12 hours. The PCM plates can be recharged using the onboard compressor which can automatically charge the PCMs during travel using temperature monitoring by sensors. According to the consultations, 16 https://www.tessol.in/cold-chain-applications/ 17 Consultation with Rinac India Limited the company claims that their technology can be used for successfully replacing the current trucks using ice and subsequently help in reducing the GHG emissions. The two success stories show that the replacement of transporting the fish using ice and insulated trucks with retrofitted PCM trucks is practically possible. The technology can help in reducing the consumption of ice, maintain the necessary cooling irrespective of the vehicle’s movement and help in reducing the GHG emissions across the various value chains. The difference in the GHG emissions in the two scenarios would be on account of the following: ● Present insulated trucks with ice - Embedded GHG emissions with the ice use ● Proposed PCM trucks - Grid electricity consumed in charging the battery and refrigerant leakage The financial, economic, and environmental assessment of the alternatives have been summarized in the table below: Table 2: Summary of various assessments of the alternatives Cryogenic Assessment Parameter Unit transport PCM lined container refrigerator Specific capital ¢/t of fish 12.9 12.9 expenditure Specific Financial operational USD/t of fish >3.24 2.45 expenditure9 Space utilization % 100% 100% Employment Person/t of (Transportation 0.11 0.29 fish/trip exclusively) Increased short/long Increased short/long term employment in Increased term employment in - setup/maintenance of Employment setup/maintenance PCM dispensing Economical of cryogenic fuel stations Air particulate g/t of fish/y 67 50 emissions (PM10) The complete saving The complete saving of Reduced stress on of ice occurs by 2 kg ice occurs by 2 kg of water of ice per kg of fish ice per kg of fish Specific GHG kgCO2/t of 7 6 (Fuel) emission fish/trip Environmental Specific GHG kgCO2/t of (Refrigerant) Not available 6 fish/trip emission kJ/kg of Energy Specific energy >107 81 fish/trip ★ Note: A trip is equivalent to 100 km and 300 operating days per year has been considered per truck The specific capital expenditure of both the alternatives has been proven to be better than insulated trucks. The Opex of the cryogenic transport will be lower than that of the insulated truck provided that the cost and requirement of liquid CO 2 per trip for cooling is lower but PCM lined container has a clear advantage. The GHG emission comparison of the alternative (considering PCM lined container only since the GHG emission due to refrigerant leakage is unknown) with the insulated and reefer truck makes the PCM lined container a more attractive option (94% and 14% lower emission in comparison to the insulated and reefer trucks). It has been reported that the infrastructure for cryogenic liquid fuel supply is almost non-existent in the USA. Cryogenic transport refrigerator technology is available in Europe commercially, but the cost of a cryogenic transport refrigerator trailer is around 12% more than the cost of conventional reefer trailer. This technology is limited by the lack of dispensing facilities for cryogenics fuel and in the Indian market cost of liquid CO2 is 10.7 ¢/kgCO218. This motivates us to move forward with PCM lined containers. The cost economics of switching to PCM technology depends on the initial cost of retrofitting, the price of ice and the specific consumption of ice per year. Subsequently the payback period was evaluated for the various value chains keeping the load carrying and the price of the ice static. The estimated payback periods range from 2 to 3 years based on the specific consumption of ice. 4. CURRENT POLICY The relevant past and ongoing national policies and programmes relevant to the transport in India were reviewed and summarized as follows: 1. PMMSY (Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana) 19 a. Concerned Department: DOF, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying b. Budget: The allocated budget under this scheme for the period FY 2021 to FY 2026 is 20,050 Cr. Rs. with a central share of 9,407 Cr. Rs. and State share of 4,880 Cr. Rs. c. Objective of policy: The focus of the scheme can be divided into 3 broad categories as follows: 1. Enhancement of production and productivity 2. Infrastructure and Post harvest management 3. Fisheries management and regulatory framework d. Incentives: B category (Infrastructure and Post-harvest Management) involves refrigerated vehicles, insulated vehicles up to 40% of the project/unit cost for General category and 60% of the project/unit cost for SC/ST/Women. The Central share shall be 60% and the state share will be providing 40% share e. Status: Till date 12,617 fishing transportation facilities have been provided. The proposal sanctioned till date is 7,268 Cr. Rs. 2. FIDF (Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund) 20 a. Concerned Department: National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) b. Budget: The allocated budget under this scheme for the period FY 2019 to FY 2023 is 7,522.48 Cr. Rs. c. Objective of policy: The aim is to create infrastructure facilities for the fisheries sector in marine and inland which will in turn help achieve countries fish production of about 20 million tonnes by 2022-23. 18 Liquid Carbon Dioxide Price Trend and Forecast 19Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana 20 FIDF d. Incentives: Provides interest subvention of up to 3% for establishment of fish transport facilities (Marine and Inland Fisheries sector) with a unit cost estimated to be 20 Lakh Rs. /unit e. Status: 68 proposals have been approved and 39 have been sanctioned out of 221 proposals received. The relevant past and ongoing policies and programmes at State level were reviewed as follows. 3. Fisheries Policy of Andhra Pradesh 21 a. Concerned Department: DoF, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh. b. Budget: The amount allocation information is made available, and the policy is for the year 2015-20 and subsidy for reefer vans shall be provided from 2016-17 onwards. c. Objective of policy: The aim of the policy was to make Andhra Pradesh a fisheries hub due to its immense potential impact on the social economical development of the new State of Andhra Pradesh. d. Incentives: Purchase of reefer vans with a maximum subsidy limit of 50% up to 10 Lakh Rs. /vehicle. The recognized beneficiary in this instance is the processing unit. e. Status: The information is not available. Other South Asian countries like Bangladesh also have policy goals which are dedicated to achieving growth in the economy through export of fisheries products. The fisheries policy for transportation and marketing openly endorses the use of ice for preservation, transportation, and marketing. The use of open transport is banned and there is encouragement for the use of insulated and reefer transport. 22 Most of the policy benefits revolve around capital subsidies and the remaining focus on interest subsidies. The prevailing policies do not explicitly provide support for the adoption of alternatives to insulated and reefer transport 23. 5. ROLE OF WOMEN There is a significant contribution and role of women in the value chain. However, in the transport component of the value chain, it has been observed that women participation is quite poor. The women are an indirect beneficiary of the economic benefits that can accrue from the recommended technologies. 6. CONCLUSION The extensive dependence on ice for the transportation of fish is required for cooling. The transportation of the product was between farms/landing site to processing units/wholesale market with specific ice consumption 2 kg ice per kg of material transported. The consumption of ice, a GHG intensive product, is a major GHG contributor in the transport of the produce. The estimated specific GHG emissions for the transportation of the fish in the value chain of 176 kgCO2 per ton of material transported. A review of the success stories in retrofitting the existing insulated trucks to PCM lined trucks showcase the possibility of GHG emission reduction by the elimination of consumption of ice. The proposed 21 Department of Fisheries, Andhra Pradesh 22 National Fisheries Policy, Bangladesh 23 Stakeholders consultation with vendors retrofitting option can yield an estimated reduction of specific GHG emissions of 93% with an estimated simple payback period of 2-3 years. The financial, economic, environmental and energy assessments for the switch options were reviewed and summarized in the table below: Table 3: Summary of various assessment for the switch to alternatives Assessment Switch from insulated truck to Switch from insulated truck to PCM cryogenic transport refrigerator lined container Financial ● 4.2% reduction in specific capital ● 3.6% reduction in specific capital expenditure expenditure ● 97% reduction in specific ● 98% reduction in specific operational expenditure operational expenditure ● 100% space utilization ● 100% space utilization Economic ● 33% reduced employment ● 74% reduced employment (person/t of fish) (person/t of fish) ● Increased short/long term ● Increased short/long term employment in setup / employment in setup / maintenance of cryogenic fuel maintenance of charging/PCM ● Reduced air particulate emission dispensing stations by 58% (from diesel fuel of ● Reduced air particulate emission transport) by 68% (from diesel fuel for ● Reduced stress on water in transport) account of no ice consumption ● Reduced stress on water in account of no ice consumption Environmental ● Information not available ● 94% reduction in GHG emissions Energy ● 91% reduction in specific energy ● 93% reduction in specific energy consumed (Without considering consumed fuel used for cooling fuel tank) The proposed PCM lined container option is attractive from the financial, economic, and environmental perspectives. And because cryogenic fuel-based cooling technology is still not in the commercial phase12. Many of the policies reviewed provide benefits which revolve around capital subsidy, with a few policies for interest subsidy and subsidy on consumables. The prevailing policies do not explicitly provide support for the adoption of alternatives to diesel and kerosene. Most of the policy benefits revolve around capital subsidies and the remaining focus on interest subsidies. The prevailing policies do not explicitly provide support for the adoption of alternatives to insulated and reefer transport21.