News

The UK refrigeration and ac industry has backed staying within the European F-gas regulations post Brexit, but repeated warnings of dire shortages of high GWP refrigerants next year.

Danfoss displayed its new ICFD Defrost Module (type ICFD 20) for ammonia systems, packaged into the ICF Valve Station, at its booth at the RETA (Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association) National Conference, held in Hershey, Pa, September 25-29.

Two Yukon chillers provided by Italian firm Enex serve a new high-efficiency CO₂ transcritical refrigeration system with heat recovery at the Abazzia di Novacella winery in the Alto Adige (South Tyrol) region of Italy.

On the occasion of the end of the first stage of the Hydrofluorocarbons Phase Out Management Plan (HPMP), the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol has published data on the HCFC consumption in developing countries (also known as Article 5 countries).

The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has accused some countries of attempting to derail the European F-gas phase down process.

Global warming is a major challenge for the entire refrigeration sector.

New research released today, in the journal Nature Climate Change, demonstrates how HFCs and other short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) can help countries meet all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

With rapidly rising natural gas prices, a fast growing food processing industry, and the coming HFC phase-down, there is a very large opportunity for high-temperature heat pumps in Australia – including natural refrigerant-based systems – a recent report has found.

Developing countries are to receive US$540m between 2018 and 2020 to initiate the phase-down of HFCs under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

The Spanish refrigeration association AEFYT has warned of a “critical” refrigerant shortage and appealed to the Spanish government to reduce the country’s tax on HFCs.

A leading US refrigerant services provider has backed indications that the USA will join the global HFC phase-down by signing the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

In another sign of natural refrigerants’ penetration into Europe’s retail sector, Spanish company Eurofred will begin offering natural refrigerant-based commercial refrigeration solutions.

Carrier Transicold has deepened the frozen range of its NaturaLine CO₂ container refrigeration units to achieve and maintain a temperature of -40ºC.

Coming hot on the heels of Maersk Line’s decision to invest in Carrier Transicold’s NaturaLINE container refrigeration system, Singapore-based Seaco Global Limited – one of the world’s leading shipping container leasing companies – has ordered 100 of the units.

With natural refrigerants ready to step in as replacements for f-gases in HVAC&R technology, a workshop held on the margins of the 29th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (20-24 November 2017), organised by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), set out ways to combat growing use of high-GWP HFCs.

Countries brought good presents to the Montreal Protocol’s 30th birthday bash. Here are a few things to be thankful for at the end of the annual meeting of the parties to the world’s most successful environmental treaty.

The European air conditioning and refrigeration industry faces record price rises of up to 60% on high GWP refrigerants R404A and R507A in December.

The European Union has received the 2017 Ozone Award for political leadership, for its role in the adoption of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

The USA seems likely to eventually back a global HFC phase down by ratifying the Kigali Amendment.

As global efforts to phase down production and use of f-gases pick up pace, illegal trade in HCFCs is increasing and there are already signs of an illegal trade in HFCs, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) warned at an ATMOsphere Network event at the 29th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP 29) in Montreal, Canada on Tuesday.