Festive Special: Read the very best of hydrocarbons21.com from 2015

By hydrocarbons21.com team, Dec 23, 2015, 11:08 3 minute reading

2015 has been an exciting year for natural refrigerants. Here at hydrocarbons21.com, as we put Christmas dinner in the oven and set new goals for next year, we’re also taking the chance to look back at this year’s news highlights regarding hydrocarbons: from new policy developments and exciting events to cutting-edge technology advancements.

Hydrocarbons becoming European standard

HOST Milano 2015 Part 1: How natural refrigerants secured their place in food service
Hydrocarbons and CO2 are moving to become the European standard for commercial refrigeration equipment, icemakers and refrigerated display cases. SandenVendo, Epta, Liebherr and AHT Cooling Systems were among those showcasing this accelerating trend at HOST Milano 2015.

FMI E+SD Conference sees growing interest in hydrocarbon refrigerants
According to exhibitors at the FMI Energy + Store Development Conference, hydrocarbons are finding their niche in the North American market, and one system supplier is hoping to increase the allowable hydrocarbon charge limit in the US.

Re-launch of The Natural Voice calls for increased recognition of natural refrigerants’ role by governments globally
ATMOsphere Network Paris 2015, held on margins of a Montreal Protocol meeting, saw the re-launch of The Natural Voice amidst presentations showing that hydrocarbons and CO2 are gaining traction worldwide in lieu of HFCs.

China Refrigeration 2015: increasing variety of R290 and R600a products for range of applications
China Refrigeration, organised in April in Shanghai, was marked by growing interest in hydrocarbons, in particular in the Chinese light commercial refrigeration sector. This trend is partly being driven by the high energy-efficiency of R290 and R600a products.

Hydrocarbons play vital role in reducing environmental impact of refrigeration 

EPA announces final dates for delisting of HFCs
Following the announcement from the US Environmental Protection Agency outlining the final rule for the delisting of several high global warming potential refrigerants, we asked whether they think the rulings will have a significant impact on the acceleration for natural refrigerants.

EPA's final rule expands use of 4 hydrocarbon refrigerants in North America
The EPA Administrator signed a final rule listing four additional hydrocarbon refrigerants (R290, R600a, R170 and R441A) as acceptable substitutes under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Programme in certain refrigeration and A/C applications. The rule exempts these refrigerants from the venting prohibition in the approved end-uses.

Hydrocarbons set to play vital role in renovation of Vietnam’s fisheries sector
The Government of Vietnam, the Vietnam Environmental Protection Fund, UNIDO and shecco initiated a project to reduce greenhouse gases and the use of ozone-depleting substances in Vietnam’s fisheries sector through the use of R290-based equipment.

Naturals sector sees opportunities in Paris climate accord
Manufacturers and end users of natural refrigerants broadly welcomed the historic climate agreement reached at COP21 in Paris. They see business opportunities in delivering a zero-emission economy and in reducing HFC use to help keep the global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius.

New possibilities for R290

Exclusive: The Colruyt Group makes R290 its refrigeration standard across all Belgian stores
Belgian retailer the Colruyt Group has announced plans to use propane for all of its 360 Belgian stores, which include its Colruyt, OKay and Bio-Planet stores. The use of the environmentally friendly refrigerant will help the group reduce its emissions by 10%.

Bitzer opens door for R290 in MAC applications
At this year’s Busworld, Bitzer revealed its new compressors for mobile air conditioning applications, which include flexibility for the use of R290.

UPDATE: Red Bull and REI-TECH spur uptake of hydrocarbons in Japan 
At the 2nd edition of ATMOsphere Asia in Tokyo, numerous companies including Red Bull and REI-TECH came together to discuss the latest hydrocarbon market trends and technology innovations, as well as on how to drive the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in Japan, which until now have not been popular.

SABMiller joins Refrigerants, Naturally!
SABMiller, one of the world’s leading brewers, is the latest major corporation to join the Refrigerants, Naturally! initiative, committing to reducing its emissions from refrigeration by 25% by 2020 and to stop buying new equipment using HFCs by the same date.

By hydrocarbons21.com team (@hydrocarbons21)

Dec 23, 2015, 11:08




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