News

The European FluoroCarbons Technical Committee (EFCTC), which represents refrigerant suppliers, has called for the EU to include a Europe-wide penalty regime in its proposals for policing F-Gas imports.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), a key EU advisory body, has released its opinion on the proposed EU F-gas Regulation, calling for a ban on all refrigerants with a GWP above five in new heat pumps, room air conditioners, chillers and refrigeration applications as of 2030.

German manufacturer Viessmann Group has announced that it plans to open a new production site in Legnica, Poland, for its largest business area, Climate Solutions, with a particular focus on high-efficiency, propane (R290)-based heat pumps.

The dynamic in the UK has changed significantly since the pandemic, where it was still considered a commercially driven market, now the majority of multi-splits are sold into domestic. Single-splits remain mostly commercially driven, but here too the share of domestic has increased significantly.

Israeli heat-exchanger manufacturer Lordan Coils has developed a cold-climate propane (R290) residential heat-pump water heater (HPWH), using 5mm (0.2in) MicroGroove copper tubes to achieve a low charge.

A propane (R290)-based variable-speed compressor from U.S. manufacturer Tecumseh meets the requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star “Emerging Technology” award, according to a recent study conducted by the company.

While Australian supermarket chain Woolworths has focused its rollout of natural refrigerants on CO₂ (R744) systems, the company also has its eye on hydrocarbons.

The EU-funded project Refrigerants, Naturally! RefNat4LIFE has recently launched two free online courses – also known as massive online open courses (MOOC) – on natural refrigerants to support store owners’ and technicians’ transition away from f-gases.

An ice rink in Pirkkala, southwestern Finland, has reduced its annual energy consumption from 500MWh to 350MWh, a saving of 30%, by replacing an old R404 system with a new CO₂ (R744) rack with two-stage heat recovery.

An ammonia heat pump from German manufacturer GEA is being used in a project using the water in an abandoned coal mine to supply a 6MW district heating network.

In the Soft Launch on July 21 2022, the Climate and Ozone Protection Alliance will be introduced, followed by a panel discussion with various speakers sharing their views on the relevance of a global shift to sustainable refrigerant management. Speakers include representatives from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the COPA Secretariat, UNIDO, UNDP, government, private sector, academia and civil society.

Japanese OEM Nihon Netsugen System (NNS), a pioneer in CO₂ (R744) refrigeration in Japan, exhibited its SUPER GREEN, an industrial CO₂ refrigeration system.

Refrigerants market is expected to reach at USD 8.4 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period. The most used natural refrigerants are ammonia, carbon dioxide, and HCs such as propane and isobutene. Technological advancements in cooling equipment are replacing traditional refrigerants such as HCFC and HFC with natural ones. This has increased the market share of natural refrigerants in applications such as air conditioning, refrigeration, and heating systems.

The U.K. Climate Change Committee (CCC) has called for the U.K. government to “match or exceed” the level of increased ambition that will be adopted following the revision of the EU F-gas Regulation.

Bitzer’s Ecolite condensing units are now available for use with a full range of A2L refrigerants, including ultra-low GWP R1234ze/yf and lower GWP R455A and R454C.

EFCTC says it now expects other EU countries to start using EU Single Window Environment for Customs to share vital information on refrigerant imports and F-Gas quotas.

The latest IIR Informatory Note outlines the options available for low-GWP refrigerants and their respective performance. It provides a series of recommendations on refrigerant selection criteria, research priorities and personnel training.

Mayekawa, a leading Japanese manufacturer of natural refrigerant refrigeration equipment, exhibited the new fourth-generation model of its NewTon ammonia (R717)/CO₂ (R744) industrial refrigeration unit.

UN Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction organized a side event on “Women in Cooling – Challenges and Opportunities” on 11 July during the forty-fourth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol. This forum, the first of its kind, initiated a discussion about the context of women in cooling worldwide including the challenges they face in their careers, previewed an important global survey on this subject, and presented a new global initiative to support opportunities for women, more engagement and visibility within the cooling sector. The side event is part of a broader discussion that UNEP OzonAction is having both internally and with its partners on how to further incorporate gender mainstreaming into the work of the Montreal Protocol. The meeting was well attended by 93 participants (female 55, male 38).

The cold chain must be sustainable everywhere to be able to meet the Millennium’s targets indeed.