INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS developing countries — such as Argentina , Pakistan , Algiers , Jordan , Vietnam , Gambia and China — to replace HCFC-22 with hydrocarbons and natural refrigerants in product lines of air-conditioning units and supermarket systems , and to provide training in the skills needed for HCs . China has responded positively to the extent that environmental issues are often considered above cost when deciding on new HVAC & R equipment and systems .
With the phase down of HFCs to be included in the Montreal Protocol , UNIDO will soon commence with its next stage of funding , which will be directed at pilot projects , the transfer of technology , and skills training to replace HFCs with natural and hydrocarbon refrigerants .
Natural refrigerants in Columbia According to Juan Perea of Alfrio , ammonia is widely used in industrial refrigeration applications across Colombia , for example seven large breweries , 25 dairies , 16 poultry production plants , and three chemical facilities . In 2014 , the privately owned RSIS centre for the training and education in ammonia refrigeration at different levels was established in Bogota . With a population of 48 million and an average GDP of USD350- billion from 2012 to 2014 , Columbia has strict import controls for ozone depleting CFCs , HCFCs , and of recent , HFCs .
“ Columbia has a network of 18 refrigerant recovery centres and five recycling sites for the recovery and regeneration of refrigerants . As a result of the restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Environment , a renewed interest in ammonia and a growing interest in CO 2 exist ,” said Perea . Price Smart Incorporated ( a supermarket chain group ) has taken the lead in CO 2 with five cascade systems . “ In the future , ammonia will dominate the large industrial systems and HFCs will continue in the small and mid-size projects . The requirement for skilled labour and high capital costs have been the biggest form of resistance to ammonia plants . The modern RSIS training centre will certainly alleviate the skills shortage .”
Perea also commented on some of the negativity around ammonia because of its use in the manufacture of harmful drugs , which is rife in Columbia .
Environmental focus high in China Unlike the misconception that China contributes more towards the world ’ s carbon emissions than it sheds from its domestic emission , the many initiatives in the refrigeration industry referred to by research academic Dr Xianping Zhang projected a totally different picture .
As a signatory to the Montreal Protocol , China is fully committed to the phase out of HCFCs by 2030 . Production of HCFCs in China has been reduced by 58 000 tonnes and domestic demand reduced by 45 000 tonnes . As a solution to cope with shortages in power generation capacity , Zhang gave insight to the development of large lithium bromide absorption air-conditioning systems in China .
Although the power supply has become relatively sufficient since 2000 , the research and development of lithium bromide chillers has both continued and extended to the use of waste heat for industrial airconditioning applications . Solar is presently being researched as a source of heat , and an export market in Europe has shown steady growth .
Ammonia charged industrial refrigeration plants in China were estimated at 23 000 in 2014 . Sixteen per cent were large plants and 7 % had an ammonia charge exceeding 10 tonnes . Market growth in the e-commerce of fresh foodstuffs has driven the demand for large cold stores and most are charged with ammonia . Training in safety and the management of ammonia plants are high on the agenda of plant operators and government authorities .
Hydrocarbons , propane ( R290 ) and isobutane ( R600a ) have been piloted to replace R22 in split air conditioners and R134a in domestic refrigerators . Haier and Gree both have high volume production lines of R290 split air conditioners .
According to Zhang , China produces 75 – 78 % of the world ’ s air conditioners and 45 % is exported . In South Africa , importers of R290 air conditioners will need to be familiar with the stringent safety regulations and workplace procedures .
From a virtual zero base in 2000 , a project funded jointly by international donor agencies and the Chinese government , was embarked to improve the energy efficiency of Chinese manufactured domestic refrigerators and to convert from ODS to hydrocarbon . Production of HC refrigerators exceeded 900 million in 2015 , of which 57 % was for the domestic market . In addition to a reduction in the consumption of ODS , the change to more efficient HC refrigerators has reduced energy usage in China by 120 billion kWh .
CO 2 as a natural refrigerant is being researched at the Tianjin University and approximately 40 large ammonia / CO 2 cascade refrigeration plants have been installed since 2013 .
Zhang concluded that China is moving towards having a complete solution to replacing high global warming refrigerants with energy efficient systems that have the least impact on the environment . Government is showing strong support to achieve these goals and is promoting wide international co-operation on this front .
The South African experience As a developing country , South Africa has been leading the development of ammonia as a natural refrigerant on the African
At the eurammon brunch after the seminar , Dave Rule of IIAR , US and his wife .
continent . Isolde Döbelin of the OTTC training college in Johannesburg , gave delegates an estimate of the ammonia refrigeration plants in South Africa as exceeding 3 000 . “ Most of the plants are of large industrial type in breweries , abattoirs , food processing , distribution centres , and fruit stores . There are also a few plants and even water chillers for comfort air conditioning to meet client demands for a natural refrigerant .”
According to Döbelin , ammonia has been used as a refrigerant in South Africa since 1930 . The country has a high level of expertise in the design of ammonia systems and adequate technicians with the required skills . All technicians that handle refrigerants in the course of their duties are required to be registered by a government appointed authority , that is the South African Qualification and Certification Committee ( SAQCC ) for Gas . Safety standards and work procedures are regulated by the South African standard SANS-10147 , which in many respects is similar to the European standard EN378 .
CO 2 refrigeration systems are on the increase in South Africa , mostly in the supermarket sector and the Makro chain group , which is part of Walmart . The systems are a mixture between sub-critical cascade with ammonia or R404A and others are trans-critical . There has been some resistance to CO 2 plants , mainly because of the high pressures and performance in the high ambient temperatures often experienced in South Africa . Similar to ammonia , proper training in the required skills has brought about a much wider acceptance of CO 2 as a natural refrigerant void of any threat of international phase out or even phase down .
The future of both ammonia and CO 2 systems in South Africa and neighbouring countries are promising . Proper training is the key . Technicians from the southern African region regularly travel to South Africa to acquire hands-on training in ammonia on life size plants . South Africa also has life size
CO 2 training plants .
Close industry co-operation in Romania Prof . Dr Gratiela Tarlea , president of the Romanian General Association of Refrigeration ( AGFR ), was passionate about the role of AGFR and its close co-operation with government , UNIDO , the European Union , and eurammon . As a professor in the Faculty of Engineering Installations at the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest , Tarlea has been at the fore of research done in heat transfer , the design of refrigeration plants , heat engineering , and applied thermodynamics . Of special mention is her thesis “ Contributions to optimise refrigeration systems related to slaughterhouses for birds ( poultry )”.
Driven by a passion for the refrigeration industry , Tarlea has taken a leading role in the development of training programmes and standards for workplace procedures . “ Natural refrigerants are on the increase in Romania and when considering the total equivalent warming impact , ammonia systems prove to be the best .”
The professor referred to a case study of a CO 2
/ R407F cascade system done with the close co-operation between industry role players . With her intimate involvement in the Romanian refrigeration industry from an academic level down to the handson training of technicians , Tarlea brought a great deal of depth to the eurammon seminar to address ‘ alternative refrigerant trends in developing countries ’. CLA
COLD LINK AFRICA • January | February 2017 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za 35