Will China Be First to Have Natural Refrigerant?

In the race to develop natural refrigerants that do not harm the atmosphere, the world's developed countries are leaving no potential opportunities off the table. The eventual winner of this race may be the most unlikely of all: China. As a communist country known for its lack of environmental respect and manufacturing quality, China is the last country most would expect to achieve widespread use of natural refrigerants. Yet it looks like they are well on their way.

China's Foreign Economic Cooperation Office has released a catalogue of 10 new refrigerants they will be looking to develop over the next several years. Of the 10, nine are natural and one is a low GWP HCFC refrigerant known as R32. Chinese officials say the development of the catalogue is a direct result of research intended to help the country meet its obligations under the Montreal Protocol. They say China has every intention of being HCFC free as quickly as possible.

To their credit, two Chinese companies have managed to bring R290 products to market this year, after just two years of development. The amount of resources necessary to accomplish this feat is significant, further demonstrating China's commitment to becoming HCFC free. Any continuation of China's current policies could well mean they come up with a natural refrigerant walk-in freezer before anyone else.

The Race Is On

Current market dynamics dictate that natural refrigerant efforts right now are targeted at residential refrigeration equipment and air conditioning. It is believed that the efforts in China have only been slowed due to market saturation and the relatively long life of major appliances. The market for new equipment in China is just beginning to grow as older equipment is starting to fade. Increased demand could be the very thing China needs to further spur refrigerant research and development.

The picture here in Europe is somewhat different. We are trending toward a gradual transition to natural refrigerants by way of low GWP alternatives as an intermediate step. We are giving less attention to natural products in favour of better performing chemicals, which could ultimately lead to our falling behind Asia in the use of natural refrigerants.

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Still Providing Great Service

Here at Icecool Trailers, there is not much we can do to influence how new refrigerants are developed in Europe. They will be what they will be. However, we can continue offering our customers throughout London, Berkshire and most of England and South Wales great equipment and service. Walk-in freezer rental is just the start of what we offer.

Our inventory includes several different sizes of both trailers and walk-in rooms. Whether for freezing or refrigeration capacity, we have a unit that is perfect for your needs. Trailers can be towed to your site and set up wherever you need them; walk-in rooms can be delivered to your premises and carried in through a standard door. We then assemble the panels wherever you direct us.

Icecool Trailers' walk-in rooms and trailers come complete with lighting, shelving, and lockable doors. They can be connected to your existing electrical system or powered by an external generator. If you do need generator power, please inform our representative of that when you contact us. We will be happy to provide you a refrigerated trailer or walk-in freezer for your long-term, short-term, or emergency needs.

Sources:

1.RAC – http://www.racplus.com/news/china-indicates-it-will-leap-straight-from-hcfcs-to-natural-refrigerants-in-many-cases/8686234.article?blocktitle=LATEST-NEWS&contentID=2331