Australian mines are increasingly getting deeper and these operations are starting to encounter heat issues. At critical depth the heat cannot be managed by ventilation alone and refrigerated air cooling becomes necessary as part of the primary ventilation system. Historically, the first Australian refrigeration systems comprised of fixed plant typically Ammonia. Examples include Mt Isa operations, CSA mine, Argyle, Tanami and Telfer amongst others. In the last decade or so mine refrigeration trends such as rental and fixed plant R134a systems have become more prevalent. Implementation of rental R134a units has become an attractive option especially for operations with small refrigerated air cooling requirements. When evaluating refrigeration strategies for an underground mine, project teams often need to trade off fixed plant and rental units. A typical evaluation strategy with key considerations is described. The main advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls of both approaches are discussed. The main differences including design, technical performance, economics, safety, system expandability, implementation and contracting approach is explored. The paper provides guidance to select between either strategy or in some cases a combined hybrid strategy. The factors and parameters to determine the most feasible option including life of mine and deployment period are also investigated. With the increasing depth of the Australian underground mines fit for purpose refrigeration strategies will become more important and a selection guideline will assist with determining a best value solution for the asset. CITATION:van den berg, L, Raubenheimer, J, Mohle, H and Bluhm, S, 2019. Selection guide when considering rental or fixed mine cooling plants, in Proceedings Australian Mine Ventilation Conference 2019, pp 376384 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).