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Politicians support CO2 as global solution |
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An early global use of R744 in cooling applications would avoid regulatory challenges and help developing countries reduce emissions substantially while remaining competitive, according to top level Government officials speaking at an international refrigeration conference.
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2007-05-25
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The natural refrigerant CO2 will be the most viable solution for the refrigeration industry worldwide with key advantages regarding environmental performance, economic benefits and legal security. This was highlighted by several governmental representatives, components and system suppliers from the refrigeration industry as well as NGO’s speaking at the international conference “CO2Ol Food – climate friendly refrigeration in supermarkets”, held in Berlin on 23 May.
HFCs no solution for developing countries
Dr. Uwe Lahl, Director General German Ministry for the Environment (BMU), considered HFCs to be "a temporary solution before natural refrigerants became operational." He therefore called on all developed countries to phase out HFCs as soon as possible to avoid encouraging emerging industries to use substances that would accelerate climate change in an unacceptable way: "China and India should not make the same mistakes (as the industrialised nations)."
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Lahl went on saying that "the new refrigerant mixtures do not correspond to our vision of sustainability. It is unconceivable that synthetic, very expensive refrigerants can be a sustainable solution in developing countries."
EU set to phase out HFC-134a in 2011
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Marianne Wenning, representing the European Commission, confirmed once again that the EU Institution will hold on to 2011 for a community-wide phase-out of the high-global warming refrigerant HFC-134a in new cars’ Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC). On top of this, the EU is determined to set mandatory energy efficiency standards for MAC and stationary refrigeration applications, and is planning to intensify the research on natural refrigerants, such as CO2, to avoid future regulatory challenges for several industry sectors. Her arguments were taken up by Marc Chasserot, Shecco, who concluded: "CO2 is the best insurance policy against future regulation."
Germany ready to switch to CO2 Technology
The German Ministry for the Environment (BMU) will recommend the use of CO2 as the most natural solution to replace fluorinated gases (F gases) such as HFC-134a, R404a or R22: "The BMU tends towards the use of CO2 as refrigerant, which is the most natural refrigerant. If the energy efficiency is the same, the natural solution should always be given priority."
Given that high global warming F gases will be subject to an EU Regulation limiting their leakage as from this June, Germany is set to replace “synthetic refrigerants as widely and as soon as possible” in all stationary refrigeration and air conditioning. In addition, the German ministry has announced to accelerate the phase-out of R134a in Mobile Air Conditioning.
Background
Given that present commercial refrigeration is highly energy consuming and a major emitter of harmful greenhouse gases, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) decided to single out this issue during Germany's current EU presidency by organising the event in Berlin.
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More information:
 Presentation Dr. Uwe Lahl, Federal Ministry for the Environment (289 KB)
Presentation Marianne Wenning, European Commission (85 KB)
› Find more presentations in our Conference section
Federal Environment Agency: CO2 in Mobile Air Conditioning - May 2007 (77 KB)
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