HC cooling equipment showcased at 25th MOP in Bangkok

By Ginta Vanaga, Nov 15, 2013, 17:03 2 minute reading

A Supermarket freezer cabinet using propane and a bottle cooler using CO2 as a refrigerant were showcased by the GIZ Proklima at the 25th Meeting of the Parties (MOP 25) to the Montreal Protocol. The well-attended technical Q&A session by GIZ demonstrated the growing interest of developing countries in HFC-free cooling solutions.

During the 25th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP) in Bangkok at the end of October 2013, GIZ Proklima showcased at their booth climate-friendly cooling equipment, namely a Coca-Cola bottle cooler using CO2 as a refrigerant and a supermarket freezer cabinet using propane (R-290), manufactured by AHT.

HC supermarket freezers

Austrian manufacturer AHT, specialised in hydrocarbon (HC) freezers for commercial applications, displayed its Paris model at the Bangkok meeting, which has a charge amount of 110 grams of R-290. “These plug-in cabinets are very efficient, so a supermarkets changing from an older centralised system to these cabinets can have a return on investment in as little as two years”, explained Sumitra Eksithichai, Sales Director at AHT.

While some visitors of the GIZ Proklima booth expressed their concerns about the maintenance of HC cabinets, experts were able to reassure the delegates that the maintenance of commercial propane freezers is very simple and requires cleaning the compressor room, if dusty, every three to six months - a task that can be done easily by the end-user.

Q&A shows interest from developing countries

The technical Q&A session organised at the GIZ Proklima booth, showed the growing interest amongst developing countries in climate and ozone friendly alternatives in the refrigeration and air-conditioning sectors. “These countries are currently phasing out ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) and by using natural refrigerants, they can avoid the introduction of hydroflurocarbons (HFCs) – synthetic gases with high global warming potential,” explained Bernhard Siegele, programme manager of GIZ Proklima.

About GIZ Proklima

Proklima is a programme of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ’s Proklima programme has been working successfully since 2008 to disseminate ozone-and climate-friendly technologies and look for green cooling solutions for the warming world.

The Proklima programme currently assists 15 partner countries with their HCFC phase-out management plans, and in the past has already implemented several demonstration projects in developing countries related to introduction of natural refrigerants. Furthermore, GIZ Proklima has published a series of technical handbooks on the safe use of hydrocarbon refrigerants and good practices in refrigeration, which were also on display in Bangkok.

About the 25th MOP

During the 25th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer the question on HFCs was discussed several times. Despite objections from countries such as India, majority of Parties demonstrated willingness to move towards a global agreement on limiting HFCs. It was agreed that a workshop on the management of HFCs would be organised during the next Montreal Protocol preparatory meeting in summer 2014.

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By Ginta Vanaga

Nov 15, 2013, 17:03




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