Workshop at GSI brings Swedish cooling expertise and research infrastructure needs together

The initial collaboration grew out of an AIMday workshop organised by Big Science Sweden, where Swedish companies and Big Science organisations came together to address real technical challenges. It led to a pre-study carried out by GSI/FAIR, EKAnalys and Assemblin.

The concluding workshop, held at GSI in September 2026, brought together experts from industry and research infrastructures to discuss the findings, alternatives to synthetic refrigerants and the steps needed to implement them.

Industry expertise meets research infrastructure needs

For research facilities, changing cooling systems involves complex technical and operational decisions. The collaboration brought EKAnalys and Assemblin’s cooling expertise together with GSI/FAIR’s knowledge of its infrastructure and requirements.
 
Jörgen Rogstam from EKAnalys, Fredrik Strengbohm from Assemblin and Simone Schwarz from GSI/FAIR presented findings and technical approaches. The programme also explored how experience from CERN could inform implementation at GSI/FAIR.
 
A guided visit to the cooling installations gave participants direct insight into existing systems, operational challenges and practical constraints.

From proven technology to implementation

A key conclusion was that natural refrigerants such as CO₂, ammonia and hydrocarbons are proven alternatives. However, the transition requires more than replacing a refrigerant: facilities need to assess their infrastructure, prioritise investments and consider cooling, heat recovery and energy use together.

It’s always interesting to see things in person! Photo: Martina Bauer, GSI/FAIR