[China Refrigeration Network] Recently, the international exchange of HCFC-22 alternative technology in the room air conditioner industry jointly sponsored by the Environmental Protection Foreign Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Environment Program, the German International Cooperation Agency and the China Household Electrical Appliances Association The 2018 China Household Electrical Appliances Technology Conference Air Conditioner Professional Technology Branch was held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. The experts from relevant international institutions, universities, scientific research institutions, and room air conditioners and compressor manufacturers have more than 200 technicians. Join the meeting.
Refrigerant replacement is a common problem faced by the global room air conditioner industry. Changes in international policies have increased the urgency of refrigerant replacement in China's room air conditioner industry.

According to Li Xiaoyan, project officer of the Environmental Protection Foreign Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the room air conditioner industry in China is accelerating the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances HCFC-22 under the Montreal Protocol. According to the requirements of the Montreal Protocol, China's room air conditioners In the second phase of the compliance phase (2015-2020), the industry needs to reduce its R22 consumption by 45% at the baseline level, which is much earlier than the original phase-out.

While phasing out the R22, China's room air conditioner industry is also facing new environmental policy pressures. In October 2016, the international community reached a Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol aimed at reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in the capital of Rwanda. HFC-based refrigerants, including R32 and R410A, were included in the control list. And the timetable for global reductions has also been clear.

In November 2017, the Kigali amendment came into effect and will enter into force on January 1, 2019. The major developed countries in the world will start to reduce HFCs from 2019, and cut the baseline level by 10% that year. Most developing countries including China will freeze the production and consumption of HFCs in 2024, starting from 2029. According to the list published by the UNEP Ozone Secretariat on its official website, up to now, 60 parties have already approved the Kigali amendment.

In fact, the new EU Fluoride Gas Act (F-Gas Act) is more radical in reducing HFCs than the Montreal Protocol's Kigali Amendment. In 2015, the new F-Gas Act of the European Union was implemented. In order to gradually reduce the consumption of HFCs in the EU market, the new F-Gas Act adopted an important measure – the quota management system. The EU has cut HFCs quotas in the European market since 2016 and has cut to 63% of the baseline level by 2018.

Ole Nielsen, Director of the Montreal Protocol Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, also mentioned the EU F-Gas Act when introducing the global HFCs control policy. He said that the implementation of the F-Gas Act had a very significant impact on the market. The price of HFC refrigerants in Europe showed a very significant change, which was eight times higher than in 2014, and some refrigerant prices have increased tenfold.

“The implementation of the F-Gas Act has indeed reduced the consumption of HFC gas in the EU. Although we expect the price to rise, for many people, it is not expected that the price increase will be so large and so fast.” Representative of the European Energy and Environment Cooperation Organization Paul de Larminat said in the introduction of the EU F-Gas Act refrigerant quota management system.

"If we use R290 for air conditioners entering the EU market, we do not need to increase the carbon tax due to the F-Gas Act," Wang Lei, vice chairman of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association, exclaimed.

"When the Kigali amendment is fully implemented, it will have a huge impact on the room air conditioner industry," Ole Nielsen said.

"The orientation of international environmental policy has been very clear. In the future, we must not only phase out ozone-depleting substances, but also reduce greenhouse gases." Wang Lei pointed out that international policies are related to the long-term development of the room air conditioner industry.

As early as many years ago, China's room air conditioner industry has made a lot of feasibility studies and careful considerations, and made the choice of the ozone-friendly and low-carbon environmentally friendly hydrocarbon refrigerant R290 as the main alternative technology.

According to Li Xiaoyan, China's room air conditioner industry completed 18 R290 air conditioning production line transformations and 3 R290 compressor production line transformations in the first phase of compliance. The whole industry has the marketization capability of R290 air conditioners, and has carried out technical exchanges and low environmental protection. Supporting activities such as carbon label release, standard revision, installation and maintenance training, etc. Currently, China is promoting the marketization of R290 air conditioners.

In the face of tremendous pressure on global climate change, R290's environmental advantages have been recognized by more and more countries, and the market size of R290 air conditioners is gradually expanding. In early September, Indian air-conditioning manufacturer Godrej announced that the company's R290 air conditioner sales have reached 600,000 units. In addition, countries in Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Oceania and other regions are increasingly supporting R290 technology.

Ole Nielsen believes that R290 is a very long-term sustainable working medium, and the world is very supportive of the efforts of China's room air conditioner industry. "Developing countries are watching China, and we very much hope that China's room air conditioner industry can take the lead. The role.