22.05.2025
Oleksandr Tymchyk, Deputy General Director of “Maekawa Ukraine” LLC, spoke on the Energy Club’s “Big Interview” podcast with host Andriy Kulykov about a wide range of important issues, from legislative regulation of the supply and use of refrigerants to the implementation of the latest energy-saving technologies, the reconstruction of existing and construction of new facilities, staffing challenges in the industry, and informing clients about the advantages of modern technical solutions.
Maekawa is a company with over 100 years of history, a leading global supplier of refrigeration equipment, heat pumps, and industrial processing equipment. In Ukraine, the company has significant influence, meeting the needs of large players such as the Mironovsky Hliboproduct agricultural holding.
Andriy Kulykov: Mr. Oleksandr, what urgent changes do you think are needed in Ukrainian legislation regarding the regulation of the supply and use of refrigerants?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: Globally, there’s a trend towards a complete phasing out of freons, primarily those containing chlorine or fluorine. This issue was raised many years ago, and now it’s becoming more acute with each passing year. The world is trying to move away from them as much as possible and transition to refrigerants that cause minimal harm to the environment. A complete phase-out of these refrigerants is planned for approximately 2035. Therefore, the issue of transitioning to more modern solutions is extremely relevant.
Currently, our legislation is a problem. The rules we use are de facto entirely copied from Soviet ones and were implemented in 1992 in an almost unchanged form. Since then, no official changes have occurred. Thus, there are certain restrictions on the use of ammonia refrigeration equipment with a charge exceeding 50 kg of ammonia. This is actually very little for serious equipment, and without reviewing the current norms, it will be very difficult to install the latest equipment, which is already actively used worldwide. In other words, currently, we have a certain border between us and Poland, where these restrictions are much simpler. Plus, there are many nuances related to the requirements for ammonia equipment concerning certain fittings and protective elements. This hasn’t been the case in Europe for many years. These requirements significantly increase the cost of equipment, complicate its import to Ukraine, commissioning, and subsequent use. Therefore, a large proportion of clients are still forced to use freon refrigeration equipment. Solving this problem will allow us to use the latest, more efficient, and reliable technological systems.
Andriy Kulykov: To change the situation and harmonize with global trends, are changes needed specifically in Ukrainian laws, or the implementation and adaptation of international standards and norms?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: I believe both approaches should be applied simultaneously. This work is already underway, but it’s quite complex and requires the support of Ukrainian experts and specialists. In this process, we can use the solutions already adopted and implemented in the European Union – they are proven, work well, and have yielded results.
Andriy Kulykov: Have other countries gone through something similar to what Ukraine needs to do?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: Yes. Our equipment operates in many countries around the world with fewer restrictions than those currently in force in our country.
Andriy Kulykov: What are the latest energy-saving technologies applied worldwide that are most relevant for the Ukrainian market, considering the current economic situation and energy crisis?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: First, it’s worth distinguishing: if we’re talking about industrial facilities, the solutions there will be unique and quite simple. First and foremost, you need to use the most efficient equipment with the highest possible efficiency. For example, if you use an ammonia-type refrigerant, the efficiency of such equipment will be much higher than that operating on freon. This is purely due to the physics of the processes.
Secondly, if you’re designing a facility from scratch, you can immediately incorporate heat recovery. There are certain points in refrigeration systems that allow you to obtain free heat, which would otherwise simply be released into the environment. It can be used in technological processes within the enterprise itself. And this is already built-in savings. This is if we’re talking specifically about our equipment. As for other representatives of the technology sector, there are cogenerators that use enterprise waste to produce electrical and thermal energy and gas, which can also be used in reverse at the enterprise. All these solutions are already actively used, but, unfortunately, very few companies in our country have reached this level yet.
Andriy Kulykov: What are the barriers?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: First and foremost, funding. There’s no doubt that this idea is productive and energy-efficient. But if you’re planning production from scratch, it would be good to have state support – financing programs or loans. Because without this, it’s quite difficult to implement these solutions.
Andriy Kulykov: How successful is Maekawa Ukraine in implementing energy-efficient solutions for its clients?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: At all our facilities, the technologies I mentioned were implemented from the very beginning. Moreover, all these facilities are actively developing – equipment is being added, and production is expanding. In other words, from an economic point of view, everything pays off very quickly because it’s all done at the capital construction stage. But if necessary, they can be added later – there’s nothing technically complicated here.
Andriy Kulykov: Reconstruction of existing refrigeration infrastructure facilities or construction of new ones? What is more expedient, and what problems arise with reconstruction?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: Actually, it’s very simple. Building new facilities is always much easier because modern solutions have been refined over many years. If you’re building a new facility, your primary interest will be production and the technical part. But after everything is built, you need to install and service the equipment. In new facilities, there’s a technical floor where the control system is located, and you need to have access to it. When designing a new building, this is immediately included in the project, and then operation is much easier.
As for reconstruction, in 99% of cases, it’s Soviet-era production, designed according to the norms of that time. Back then, there were different technical solutions, different layouts, and a different approach to equipment maintenance. Given this, one has to adapt, which is not always convenient. In a newly built facility, the control elements are on a technical floor, where the temperature and conditions are normal and comfortable. But in reconstructed ones, they sometimes have to be placed inside rooms where the normal working temperature is minus 18-20 degrees Celsius all year round. And this is absolutely uncomfortable for people.
The very architecture of previously built buildings hinders the adequate placement of equipment. They didn’t initially calculate what the room area, dimensions, and height should be – it’s an existing room. And there can be certain difficulties with this.
Andriy Kulykov: How difficult is it to adapt new construction to the latest environmental standards?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: If you use freon, there are no special legislative restrictions. If we start talking about ammonia, or, more commonly now, not purely ammonia systems but cascade systems – using several types of refrigerants at once, for example, an ammonia-CO2 cascade (both refrigerants are much better for the environment), then questions arise. If you have a quite large and powerful installation, and people live nearby, then in case of any problems in production, there can be undesirable consequences. Therefore, it’s desirable to locate these facilities at a certain distance. But on this issue, there’s a certain gray area in the legislation because there’s no actual direct restriction, but companies try to locate new facilities as far as possible from populated areas or at least at a certain distance.
Clearly formulated legislative norms and unified rules for all market participants are needed.
Andriy Kulykov: What are some examples of exemplary project organization solutions for the reconstruction of existing and construction of new refrigeration facilities from Maekawa Ukraine’s practice?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: First and foremost, these are the facilities of the Mironovsky Hliboproduct agricultural holding, where there is a very serious attitude towards client relations, product quality, and most importantly, which is very pleasant, towards the use of the latest technological achievements. The three largest factories, one of which is currently the largest in Europe, including in terms of production capacity, are exemplary in Ukraine.
Also, the Vinnytsia Poultry Farm in Ladyzhyn – you won’t see this in every European country. There’s a very serious approach and attitude at all stages of construction, production, and operation, where all the latest solutions are used. And the Mironovsky Meat Processing Plant “Lehko,” which produces semi-finished products.
Human Resources in the Refrigeration Industry
Andriy Kulykov: All about technology and technology. What is the level of education and qualifications of personnel working in the refrigeration industry in Ukraine?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: Here I can speak purely from my own experience: Ukrainian educational institutions provide a really high level of basic knowledge and specialist training. Many graduates of these institutions now work abroad, including in leading countries. Given the situation that has developed in our country over the past few years, people now look differently at choosing a future profession. The refrigeration field is a profession that you will engage in your whole life, learning and discovering something new every day.
The people I talked to, primarily young people under 25, have a high level of education, but unfortunately, there aren’t that many of them. And this is a serious problem. Experienced specialists who have been working in this field for over 20-30 years are decreasing – age, health, etc. And not many new ones are being added. They exist, but fewer than needed.
Andriy Kulykov: And what can business cooperation with education do in this regard, when those interested in personnel pay for higher education?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: This is a very good solution, but in my opinion, it requires a centralized approach. Yes, we have large companies interested in personnel, but a structure is needed to organize training. We need to help people meet. There must be an educational program. Such cases are common in the West as well: a person studies at an institute, is simultaneously hired, and immediately begins to understand what they need to study first, given the specifics of the work. This is a serious, targeted approach that will yield much better results than what we have today.
Informing Clients and Future Plans
Andriy Kulykov: We’ve discussed education, now let’s talk about enlightenment. How does Maekawa Ukraine work to raise client awareness about the benefits of new technologies?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: We want the client to know as much as possible. We are a commercial organization, so the more new information the client has, the more interested they will become. Therefore, we cooperate with many companies whose equipment we supply to Ukraine and service. Our good partners in Ukraine are Danfoss Ukraine – a large corporation with headquarters in Denmark. It’s a world leader in the production of energy-efficient equipment for heating and cooling systems, drive automation, hydraulic engineering, etc. We receive information about their new products, conduct training for our employees, communicate with clients, and, if necessary, involve representatives of the equipment supplier company. And this applies to all companies we cooperate with. New products appear regularly, and it’s very important to know this in a timely manner. Then, even at the design stage of facilities, advanced technologies can be used.
Andriy Kulykov: Based on your achievements, what are your development plans for the next 5 years? Is this a period of strategic goals or practical advancement?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: For our company, 5 years are tactical plans; more global ones extend to a decade. First and foremost, it’s about supporting existing facilities: we will offer clients new solutions. Of course, everyone dreams of new projects, and so do we. This is the top priority.
Maekawa Ukraine produces not only refrigeration equipment but also heat pumps, which are currently very relevant in our country. We use the developments of our colleagues and have developed a line of equipment for meat processing and thermal treatment. In the near future, we plan to develop these areas to meet the needs of our clients. So the plans are very serious, and we have a lot to offer clients.
Andriy Kulykov: What are your wishes or advice for the Energy Club business community and related Ukrainian enterprises?
Oleksandr Tymchyk: First and foremost, there needs to be communication, information exchange, and cooperation. There are situations where solutions exist, but people don’t know about them. Closer communication in various formats will allow for new opportunities and new directions for cooperation.
