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Tag: refrigerants
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Tensions rise over EU refrigerant transition
Debate is intensifying in Europe over the future of HFCs as the European Union eyes stricter limits on the global warming potential of refrigerants, and manufacturers push back on the proposed switch to hydrocarbons. The European Union (EU) is in the process of reviewing its F-Gas Regulation, which provides a roadmap for phasing down fluorinated […]
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Online platform will trade recovered HFC refrigerants
A new, EU-funded online platform has been launched to enable trading of reclaimed HFC refrigerants in Europe. The website, called Retradeables, has been designed to provide a simple, viable market where used F-gases – or fluorinated refrigerants – can be bought, reclaimed and sold for further use. Users can access a live online exchange for […]
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EPA forges ahead with HFC phase-down
After the US government committed to phase down HFCs in line with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken a concrete step by putting forward the first rule under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act. The AIM Act directs the EPA to sharply reduce production and […]
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Free webinar on design for low-GWP refrigerants
Alfa Laval is hosting a free industry webinar on Tuesday, June 8, to help HVAC&R professionals upskill on the design requirements for low-GWP refrigerants – both natural and synthetic. The event has been organised exclusively for countries in the Asia Pacific region, and will look at the specific challenges in these markets. “The shift to […]
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Chemours pledges to reduce HFC-23 emissions
Global chemistry company and refrigerant producer Chemours has announced a project to significantly reduce emissions of HFC-23 at its Louisville, Kentucky (US) manufacturing site. HFC-23 is a potent greenhouse gas with a 100-year global warming potential (GWP) of 12,400 – many times greater than most refrigerants used today. It is a by-product of producing R22, […]
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New report on potential health impacts of HFOs
A new report has highlighted the possible environmental and human health risks posed by some HFOs – the newest generation of synthetic refrigerants – breaking down in the atmosphere. Report and statement of the downsides of HFO refrigerant usage has been produced by Refolution Industriekälte GmbH, a European refrigeration company that specialises in low-temperature systems […]
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Has China halted illegal production of CFC-11?
New studies indicate that China may have successfully curbed production of CFC-11, an ozone-depleting refrigerant also used for foam insulation. The chemical was banned, along with other CFCs such as R12 and R502, under the Montreal Protocol to stop the production and import of ozone depleting substances and reduce their concentration in the atmosphere. In […]
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ARC releases free ‘tech packs’ for R32
The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) and the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment have created free “tech-packs” on R32 refrigerant for licensed technicians and authorised businesses. The packs contain information on refrigerant characteristics and properties, equipment requirements, safety, relationship to R410A, and more. They also include refrigerant safety stickers to help technicians identify the […]
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Has Australia hit ‘peak bank’?
A new version of the Cold Hard Facts report reveals that Australia’s HVAC&R sector may have hit “peak bank” for synthetic greenhouse gases (SGGs) in 2019–20. The total global warming potential (GWP) of the bank of synthetic greenhouse gases employed in refrigerating and air conditioning systems in Australia is predicted to have peaked in 2019–20 […]
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State-of-the-art refrigeration training pods on the way
GOTAFE is partnering with Bendigo Kangan Institute (BKI) and HVAC&R industry bodies in an innovative new training project for RAC trades. Last year the Hon. Gayle Tierney, Minister for Training and Skills and Higher Education granted $2,000,000 toward the project that will be provided by the Workplace Training and Innovation Fund (WTIF). One of the […]
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No changes to hydrocarbon rules says government
Queensland Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Dr Anthony Lynham, has responded to the parliamentary petition to “approve the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants and appliances in Queensland” tabled by One Nation member for Mirani, Stephen Andrew. The petition decried the “heavy-handed and completely unnecessary” rules surrounding hydrocarbon refrigerants in Queensland, and asked the government […]
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Refrigerant report reveals industry changes
German manufacturer Bitzer has released the Refrigerant Report 21, and it provides an in-depth view on commercial and development refrigerants. The company published the first refrigerant report in 1992, and has since become known for its unbiased and innovative views. The report lists the latest development in refrigerants, which ones are no longer viable, and […]
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Natural refrigerant trade show goes virtual
Brussels-based natural refrigerant group Shecco will be launching what has been touted the world’s first natural refrigerant virtual trade show for the HVAC&R industry on September 1, 2020. The free-to-attend online exhibition will give HVAC&R industry professionals remote access to the latest natural refrigerant solutions during the pandemic, says CEO of Shecco, Marc Chasserot. “It […]
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Refrigerants an “eye-opener” in new Drawdown
Project Drawdown has released The Drawdown Review – Climate Solutions for a New Decade, a list of ways to address global warming. The first Drawdown list, published in 2017, brought mainstream attention to the HVAC&R industry when refrigerant management was ranked as the number one most critical step towards reducing global CO2e emissions. The Review […]
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Cash for refrigerant data
Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA) is seeking help from HVAC&R technicians to better understand what happens to refrigerant from split system air conditioners when they are replaced. And it is paying for the data. RRA is a not-for-profit organisation that works with industry to recover, reclaim and destroy surplus and unwanted refrigerants. The organisation is offering […]
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Chemours suspends supply of R404A and R507A
Chemours has suspended the supply of refrigerants with a high global warming potential (GWP) in the European Union, including R404A (GWP 3,922) and R507A (GWP 3,985). The move supports the European Union F-Gas Regulation to lower-GWP alternatives and prepare for the next quota phase-down in 2021. On January 1, 2020, a prohibition came into effect in […]
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A 100 billion tonne opportunity
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has released a report highlighting the enormous refrigerant bank worldwide, and environmental benefits of managing it properly. Search, Reuse and Destroy describes a range of measures to manage the global refrigerant bank, particularly the ozone depleting substances (ODS) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) contained in existing equipment, chemical stockpiles, foams and other […]
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Industry snapshot: the latest figures
The Department of the Environment and Energy has released an updated version of Cold Hard Facts, the definitive inventory of Australia’s HVAC&R industry. The 2019 edition updates the version released last year (which contained data up to 2016) with data collected during 2017 and 2018. Key points from this year’s report include: The bank of […]
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How flammable is ‘mildly flammable’?
A multi-million-dollar research project led by AHRI, with support from ASHRAE, the US Department of Energy and the California Air Resources Board, has comprehensively tested refrigerants to answer questions around their flammability. In Australia, the topic continues to provoke debate, and understandably so. Because of the HFC phase-down, previously common non-flammable A1 refrigerants are giving way […]
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Webinar for World Refrigeration Day
The final countdown to the first ever World Refrigeration Day is on, and ASHRAE and UNEP OzoneAction have added to the festivities by announcing a special webinar. Titled “Refrigerants for Life: How Refrigerants Affect Modern Life”, the webinar will run from 9–10.30 EDT on Wednesday, June 26. Industry experts will talk about the latest science, […]