32
Personality Profile Sponsored by:
VISIT THE LARGEST HEATING, ENERGY, REFRIGERATION, VENTILATION & AIR CONDITIONING EXHIBITION IN AFRICA
DAWIE KRIEL’ S IMPACT ON THE REFRIGERATION INDUSTRY
Dawie Kriel, the general manager of Energy Partners Refrigeration( EPR), has built an impressive career in the field of mechanical engineering, specialising in thermodynamics and heat transfer. His journey began in 1991 when he completed his master’ s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Stellenbosch. Shortly after, he entered the workforce as an engineer-in-training in the gold mining industry at Winkelhaak mine. By 1992, he had earned his government ticket for mines and works.
After two years in mining, Kriel transitioned to consulting engineering, joining MBB Consulting Engineers, where he spent a decade honing his expertise. As the lead engineer for post-harvest handling in the Stellenbosch office, he made significant contributions to the field.
“ My passion for HVAC & R engineering was sparked by my university study of thermodynamics, where I became captivated by the vast applications of cooling and heat transfer across various disciplines, from cosmology to biology. Interestingly, I stumbled into refrigeration engineering by chance— arriving late to select my final-year project supervisor, I was left with the most feared professor in thermodynamics. That seemingly small moment set me on a lifelong path of exploring energy, heating and cooling,” he says.
In 2003, Kriel embarked on an entrepreneurial journey by co-founding MGC Industrial Projects with partner, Hougaard Langeveldt. The business flourished and was eventually acquired by Energy Partners in 2011. Today, he leads EPR, overseeing innovative projects that push the boundaries of efficiency and sustainability.
Among the many projects Kriel has been involved in, a few stand out as particular points of pride. His early work with MBB Consulting Engineers saw the introduction of ammonia-based banana ripening rooms in fresh produce markets across South Africa— an innovation ahead of its time, many of which are still operational today. More recently, his team at EPR designed and built a 10 MWR ammonia refrigeration system for Clover, a project that presented significant challenges. The system had to be installed in an existing plant room while keeping the old system running— a complex task requiring precision and strategic planning. Moreover, it became EPR’ s largest Cooling as a Service( CaaS) contract to date, delivering substantial cost savings to the client while integrating solar PV and boiler feedwater heating for optimal lifecycle cost management.
A major breakthrough in Kriel’ s career has been the development of servitisation in the refrigeration industry. Since 2014, EPR has pioneered the concept of CaaS in South Africa, a novel approach now recognised globally as a best practice for achieving sustainability and circularity in cooling. By shifting the risks and responsibilities from customers to industry specialists,
CaaS has the potential to redefine refrigeration for the future.
Throughout his career, collaboration has been a cornerstone of Kriel’ s success. He has worked with a diverse network of partners, contractors, suppliers, developers and designers, often finding joy in these professional relationships. One of the biggest twists in his career came with the challenge of building a new contracting business through an acquisition process for EPR, a task that required both strategic and technical expertise.
As with any engineering career, Kriel has encountered his fair share of challenges. However, he firmly believes in tackling problems head-on, taking responsibility and finding fair solutions that lead to success. He has never considered giving up, as he finds engineering to be an endlessly fascinating field that continuously inspires him.
For aspiring engineers, Kriel offers valuable advice: engineering is one of the best qualifications one can pursue, opening doors to careers in design, finance and management. Curiosity and continuous learning are essential, and critical thinking should always be encouraged.“ Never believe something just because you’ re told— it’ s important to question and explore for yourself,” he advises.
What excites him most about engineering is the magic that happens when a team collaborates effectively to achieve something extraordinary. Contrary to common perception, he believes engineering is deeply people-oriented, centred on improving lives through smart solutions. What frustrates him most, on the other hand, are the continued use of synthetic refrigerants, overly complex solutions and short-term financial thinking. For him, great engineering should be simple, elegant and sustainable.
“ Looking to the future, I envision HVAC & R moving towards natural refrigerants in as much as 90 % of applications, with a strong focus on lifecycle cost management driven by data,” notes Kriel.“ As regulations become stricter and systems more autonomous, reducing risk for endusers will become increasingly important. I also predict that heat pumps will expand into steam generation and play a major role in the industry’ s evolution. Above all, I hope to see a future where technicians are better trained, well-paid, and take pride in their work— a transformation that must begin with foundational education reforms,” he concludes. RACA
© RACA Journal
32
RACA Journal I May 2025 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za