Meetings held in India in mid-March 2026 under the INDEE3 project focused on sustainable cooling and heating, with discussions on natural refrigerants, capacity building and efficient cold chains. International partners took part in the exchanges, and the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) was represented by Anna Pacak, Research Fellow at IIR.
The programme started with meetings at the Norwegian Consulate General, where representatives of SINTEF Ocean and IIR introduced the INDEE3 project and explored cooperation opportunities in sustainable cooling and refrigeration. Discussions covered the green transition, including natural refrigerants, links to energy solutions such as LNG, and the need for certification and skills development due to a shortage of qualified experts. Demonstration activities in regions such as Goa and at BITS Pilani were also highlighted, together with possible expansion to maritime systems and cold chain solutions for fisheries and food logistics.
These priorities were also reflected in the project meeting, where partners reviewed progress across work packages and aligned activities for the coming months. The talks focused on stronger collaboration between institutions, further training and certification efforts, and better use of existing tools, demonstration sites and research infrastructure. Partners also discussed expanding outreach and engaging new stakeholders.
The same themes were visible at ACREX India 2026, held on 12-14 March at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai. The event, organized by ISHRAE, brought together industry leaders, innovators and researchers in HVAC, refrigeration and intelligent building technologies. According to the source, the event is significant for IIR because of the rapid expansion of the Indian HVAC market, driven by urbanization, energy efficiency policies and demand for sustainable cooling solutions.
At ACREX, the INDEE3 seminar on “Sustainable Cooling and Heating: Natural Refrigerants for India’s Future” featured 14 presentations and attracted more than 60 participants. The session focused on the transition away from CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs toward natural refrigerants including CO2, ammonia and hydrocarbons, while also addressing concerns related to HFOs, including PFAS formation and possible long-term environmental impacts. Presentations covered demonstration projects, lifecycle refrigerant management and capacity building, while several studies presented systems such as CO2 cascade systems, high-temperature heat pumps, district cooling, ejector refrigeration systems and R290-based cold storage, alongside technical challenges including safety, system optimization and oil management in compressors.
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