Nitrogen Freezing Outperforms Conventional Air-Blast Freezing on Total Cost of Ownership

09 October 2026 | Linde Gas A/S

• Focus on sustainability
• Food Processing

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Many people believe that nitrogen freezing is more expensive than conventional mechanical freezing. According to Flemming Kay from the Linde Food Team in Denmark, that assumption is wrong.

When all economic benefits are taken into account, nitrogen freezing can actually be the more cost-effective solution over time.

Many food manufacturers still believe that switching from traditional mechanical freezing to nitrogen freezing is difficult to justify from a financial perspective. At FoodTech in Herning, however, Flemming Kay aims to challenge that perception.

"If you compare the total production costs of conventional air-blast freezing with nitrogen freezing, nitrogen freezing is the clear winner. The fact is that when production ends for the day and X tonnes of frozen product are sitting in the cold store, nitrogen freezing is often the most economical freezing method available."

Linde's nitrogen freezers can also be used for in-line cooling, offering many of the same advantages as freezing applications.

Why Can Nitrogen Freezing Be the Most Cost-Effective Solution?
One of the key reasons is the significantly lower product loss associated with nitrogen freezing. Reduced weight loss means higher product yield, resulting in more saleable product and a direct positive impact on profitability.

"We often see product yields increase by between 10% and 28% when nitrogen freezing is used, primarily due to reduced moisture evaporation during the freezing process," explains Flemming Kay.

Rapid Freezing Improves Productivity
The reduced product loss is largely due to the speed of the freezing process.

For example, a conventional freezing system may require four hours to freeze a given volume of product. A nitrogen freezer can often achieve the same result in just 30 minutes.

This not only saves production time but also reduces labour costs by shortening the time required for handling and processing.

The faster freezing process also enables manufacturers to increase production capacity and freeze more product during a normal working day. This can be particularly valuable during peak production periods, helping companies avoid costly overtime.

Labour Savings Through In-Line Production
Nitrogen freezing is an in-line process that requires less product handling.

Products enter the nitrogen freezer automatically on a conveyor and exit fully frozen, reducing the need for manual intervention. As a result, the same production volume can often be achieved with fewer employees.

"There are documented cases where companies have reduced staffing requirements by four to six employees by switching from conventional freezing to nitrogen freezing," says Flemming Kay.

He continues:
"At one food processing facility in Zealand, Denmark, the switch to nitrogen freezing eliminated the need for an entire evening shift of 16 employees."

CRYOLINE® Rapid Crust Freezing Delivers Superior Slicing Performance
Products intended for slicing often benefit from crust freezing prior to slicing.

Using nitrogen for crust freezing improves slicing yields and maximizes raw material utilization by reducing production losses.

Nitrogen crust freezing is extremely fast. After approximately one minute, products are ready for slicing. The high processing speed significantly increases production capacity while supporting further automation through an in-line production setup.

NITROBOOST® Ensures Stable Freezing Temperatures
NITROBOOST® is an add-on solution for conventional mechanical freezers, using nitrogen as a supplement to existing refrigeration systems.

When mechanical freezing systems are challenged, for example due to frost build-up on evaporators or unusually warm ambient conditions, NITROBOOST® can provide additional cooling capacity and help maintain critical operating temperatures.

This ensures rapid and efficient freezing while enabling manufacturers to maintain or even increase production throughput.

"I have seen cases where NITROBOOST® increased production capacity by up to 500 kilograms per hour. There is significant potential to unlock additional capacity," says Flemming Kay.

He adds:
"NITROBOOST® can also help stabilize and quality-assure freezing operations, ensuring products remain within defined temperature parameters throughout production. The benefits are clear: a smoother, more consistent production flow, fewer operational issues, and stable product temperatures throughout the entire production run."

Meet Linde at FoodTech
Meet the Linde team at stand M9710 at FoodTech, or contact Flemming Kay directly at flemming.kay@linde.com or +45 40 54 99 10 for more information about nitrogen freezing, in-line cooling and cryogenic food processing solutions.