News

With 2 weeks to go, parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer will be preparing for the first in-person Meeting of the Parties (MOP34) since COVID-19 shut down life as we knew it.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environment Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) has started the third stage of the campaign against ozone depleting substances (ODS) in the country.

The Antarctic ozone hole last week peaked at a moderately large size for the third straight year — bigger than the size of North America — but experts say it’s still generally shrinking despite recent blips because of high altitude cold weather.

The industry in Norway faces a 24% increase in tax on f-gases in proposals for the country’s 2023 budget.

Industry body representing building control experts argues that heatwaves experienced over the summer have highlighted the growing value of better building management.

Japanese manufacturer Panasonic’s European division has announced the 2023 launch of its Aquarea L Series propane (R290) residential air-to-water heat pumps, boasting an improved design and A+++ efficiencies with a Seasonal COP (SCOP) of up to 5.12.

The German government is offering funding from its annual €600m energy research budget for projects aimed at decarbonising heating and cooling.

Chinese manufacturer Midea claims to have registered and published the world’s first Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for air conditioners with its XtremeSave series splits.

The Barbados National Cooling Strategy (NCS) has been made publicly available following its national approval in May 2022. Similarly, as part of the Ozone Day commemoration, the Government of Nigeria through the National Ozone Unit (Federal Ministry of Environment) has released their National Cooling Plan.

The new SPECTRUM Water chiller from ENGIE Refrigeration is available on the international market as of Monday 10 October 2022. The model with a capacity range of 170 to 1,100 kilowatts of nominal cooling capacity is a perfect addition to the existing portfolio and is a future-proof investment for users, thanks to its oil-free high-lift turbo compressors and the refrigerant R-1234ze. ENGIE Refrigeration will present this innovative product from 11 to 13 October 2022 at the Chillventa trade fair in Nuremberg.

Andalusian manufacturer Keyter is to use Honeywell’s HFO refrigerant R1234ze in a commercial scroll chiller for the first time.

Engineers in Germany developing a propane-based refrigeration circuit for heat pumps are said to have achieved a heating capacity of 12.8kW with only 124g of propane.

From 6-8 September 2022, Cool Contributions Fighting Climate Change Phase II (C4II) supported the Technology Training Week at the Cold Chain Innovation Hub (CCI) in the Philippines. The Hub is cooled by two R290 split air conditioning units provided in the first Phase of C4.

Daikin Europe NV, a subsidiary of Daikin Industries Limited, a global leader, present in more than 171 countries, shaping the future of heating, cooling, ventilation and refrigeration systems, reveals two new natural refrigerant products, the Monoblock of the future and CO₂ ZEAS range.

Speaking at ARBS, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Building Services, the director of the ozone and climate protection section in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Patrick McInerney, said the government is considering a range of options but wouldn’t commit to specific restrictions.

Danish OEM Advansor has launched the CuBig II, an energy-efficient CO₂ rack combining cooling and heating in one compact unit for larger supermarkets, cold storage and industrial applications.

Panasonic Corporation announced that its Heating & Ventilation A/C Company is expediting its growth strategy for its air-to-water (A2W) heat pumps business in Europe. The company plans to release three new environmentally conscious models for homes (with different heating capacities) using natural refrigerants in Europe in May 2023, a first for a Japanese manufacturer, and to more than double the lineup by fiscal year ending in March 2026.

Refrigerant manufacturer Arkema has announced plans to increase the supply of the low GWP HFO 1233zd through plants in China and the USA.

A group of trainers from the UK, Germany and Italy, in collaboration with manufacturer Clivet, have launched a joint training programme to increase awareness and build competency in the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in split systems.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has delivered two R1234ze(E) centrifugal chillers with a total cooling capacity of 8,400RT to Singapore’s Marina Bay district cooling facility.