Ideal for Water-Scarce Areas: Compact Air-Cooled Screw Chillers in North Africa

North Africa Water-Scarce Regions with Limited Plant Rooms: Air Cooled Screw Chiller Eliminates Cooling Tower and Equipment Room

(Pain point: limited plant room / Scene: central HVAC / Solution: no cooling tower, outdoor installation)

Industry Background: Challenges of Water-Cooled Solutions in North Africa

North Africa (including Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Libya) faces chronic water scarcity. Meanwhile, large commercial buildings, hospitals, and industrial facilities often have limited mechanical and electrical (M&E) plant room space. Traditional water cooled chiller + cooling tower configurations face constraints in both water availability and spatial footprint.

Water cooled screw chillers themselves do not consume large amounts of water. However, the required cooling towers have evaporation losses and makeup water demand. In water-scarce regions, cooling tower makeup water costs, water treatment expenses, and the risk of shutdown due to water supply interruptions increase total life cycle costs.

Technical Logic of the Alternative: How Air Cooled Screw Chillers Address Both Pain Points

An air cooled screw chiller replaces the shell-and-tube condenser (water-cooled type) with a fin-coil heat exchanger, using ambient air as the heat rejection medium – thus completely eliminating the cooling tower. Under typical North Africa operating conditions:

• No cooling tower means removing cooling water pumps, makeup water systems, water treatment equipment, and cooling tower foundations

• No dedicated equipment room is required. Air cooled units can be installed outdoors on a concrete pad, either at ground level or on rooftops

• Single point electrical connection reduces site electrical distribution complexity

Parameter-Based Selection Reference

According to the Midea AirBoost series air cooled screw chiller product data (PDF), the following parameters are relevant for selection:

• Ambient temperature range: -25°C to 52°C (covering typical North Africa high ambient conditions)

• T3 series models meet high ambient requirements. Some models maintain rated cooling capacity at 46°C DB

• Operating weight: 4440kg to 10160kg depending on model – suitable for ground or rooftop installation

• Modular design: up to 8 units in parallel, allowing staged expansion or backup configuration

Selection Guideline: When to Choose Air Cooled Screw Over Water Cooled + Cooling Tower

In the following scenarios, an air cooled screw chiller is a preferred alternative to water-cooled solutions:

Boundary Conditions to Consider

The COP of an air cooled screw chiller (approximately 3.2–3.6 under T3 conditions) is lower than that of a water cooled screw chiller (approximately 5.4–5.5). This means higher electricity consumption at full load. However, in North Africa – where water is scarce and electricity tariffs are relatively stable – the savings on water bills, water treatment, and plant room civil construction typically offset the power consumption difference within 2 to 4 years. For large projects with extended annual operating hours (>4000 hours), a full life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is recommended before finalizing the selection.

Conclusion

For water-scarce regions in North Africa where plant room space is limited, air cooled screw chillers directly address both water availability and spatial constraints – by eliminating the cooling tower and enabling outdoor installation. Key selection factors include high ambient capability (T3 series), operating weight (rooftop structural load), and modular expandability.