Madagascar trade body promotes natrefs
The Madagasy Union of Refrigeration Technicians (UFM) is running an awareness-raising campaign to promote uptake of natural refrigerants.
To protect the ozone layer, UFM calls for a complete phase out of HCFCs as well as HFCs in Madagascar. The union sees natural refrigerants such as CO2, hydrocarbons or ammonia as only viable solution for the industry.
According to UFM representative Vonisoa Andrianarisoa Ranarivel, some companies are hesitant to switch to natural refrigerants due to perceptions of their higher costs. In Madagascar, natural refrigerant gases like ammonia and propane tend to cost two to three times more than HCFCs. However, long-term operating costs of natural refrigerant-systems are much cheaper.
Madagascar has been reducing the usage of HCFCs and HFCs within the guidelines of the Montreal Protocol since 2010. The average annual consumption of HFCs since 2011 is 341 tons. The objective set by the national ozone unit is to reduce their consumption to zero by 2030.
Despite this target, HFC consumption is yet to be officially regulated in Madagascar.