Chemours and NHL seek sustainable future
Chemours is to partner with the National Hockey League (NHL) to identify sustainable alternatives for North American ice rinks, many of which are still operating on R22.
The partnership announcement follows the release of the NHL’s 2018 Sustainability Report which assesses the NHL’s environmental impact and its commitment to ensure all levels of hockey thrive for future generations. It also supports the NHL Greener Rinks Initiative, a league-wide programme committed to sharing sustainable business practices with community rink owners and operators.
There are approximately 4,800 indoor ice rinks in North America. The average age of the rinks is over 30 years. A third already use ammonia to create ice but the majority are still using R22, which is being phased out, or HFCs, which are likely to be phased down under the Kigali Amendment.
The manufacturer of Opteon lower GWP alternatives, Chemours says it will work with the NHL and community rink owners and operators to identify cost-effective, sustainable alternatives. The need to reduce energy costs is a major requirement of the initiative to help more rinks stay operational.
Chemours maintains that community rink owners and operators need to consider several factors when selecting refrigerants and refrigeration systems. This includes the age of the current equipment, installation and ongoing maintenance costs, safety, performance, and energy efficiency of the new fluid.