With the F-Gas Regulation on the elimination of high PCA (Atmospheric Heating Potential) refrigerant gases entering its final stretch, the cold sector has contributed to considerably reducing emissions of gases harmful to the environment. But the great investment effort of the family of companies that make up the sector - manufacturers of refrigerants, refrigeration systems and installers - has not only focused on refrigerant gases, but has also applied a multidisciplinary approach in which system performance refrigerator, energy efficiency and remote control have an even greater effect on the environment than the PCA of the refrigerant itself. It is estimated that replacing or adapting old facilities with others that implement new technologies can lead to energy savings of around 30 percent per refrigeration system.
The great concern of the sector is that the economic crisis derived from the pandemic may put a brake on the renovation of facilities, which would have a negative effect on the environmental progress that has been achieved in recent years. For this reason, AEFYT, Association of Cold Companies and their Technologies, calls for the necessary economic instruments to be put in place to facilitate the transition to sustainable refrigeration for companies.
"Refrigeration is prepared to take the step towards sustainability and green recovery, but we must not forget the difficulties that many companies from different sectors are going through that have been affected by what has been called the Great Closing. It is necessary that these sectors recover their activity and their investment in environmentally friendly refrigeration systems ”, said Manuel Lamúa, manager of AEFYT.
The great variety of new technologies and new refrigerants that have been put on the market in recent years, in what constitutes an unprecedented technical advance due to their depth and speed, are capable of responding to the needs of any economic sector that requires refrigeration to work. Among the first, we can mention integral water-cooled systems, glycol secondary systems, cascade subcritical systems or transcritical systems, among others. One or the other also introduce new low-GWP refrigerants, such as CO2, ammonia, HFO A2L (slightly flammable refrigerants), etc.
With these bases, the cold sector is ready to be part of the "Green Recovery" that the European Union began in the post-Covid period. For this, it is necessary to take into account not only the plan established by the F-Gas Regulation, but a much broader vision that includes cooling performance, energy efficiency, life cycle, eco-design or maintenance of the installation, among others.
