Refrigerant substitution has become one of the most pressing tasks facing the world's room air conditioner industry. China's room air conditioner industry has taken the support of more and more countries for its R290 as an alternative route. The R290 air conditioner has been deployed around the world Market blossom everywhere.
On November 3 at the International Conference on Alternatives to HCFC-22 in Room Air-conditioner Industry and the Air-conditioner Expertise Branch of China Household Electrical Appliances and Technology Conference in 2017, UNIDO and officials from German Agency for International Cooperation introduced the R290 Air conditioning in the global development and market prospects Whether it is based on international environmental policy, or out of market competition considerations, more and more countries and businesses chose the R290 route, R290 has gradually risen to the next generation of the world's room air conditioner industry The mainstream of the refrigerant.
The Kigali Amendment says NO to the HFCs route
As one of the remaining major ODSs, the phase-out of HCFC-22 has drawn the great attention of the international community. The room air conditioner industry is a large consumer of HCFC-22 and our country is also the world's largest producer of room air conditioners The progress of phase-out of R22 refrigerant in the room air conditioner industry in our country is of crucial importance to the global phase-out of HCFC-22.
According to "Montreal Protocol" requirements, China's room air conditioner industry to be completely eliminated in 2030 R22. December last year, 77th "Montreal Protocol" Multilateral Fund Executive Committee approved the "China's room air conditioners and household heat pump water heater industry second Stage HCFC phase-out management plan "requires China's room air conditioners and household heat pump water heater industry to cut consumption of R22 by 45% at the baseline level by 2020, which is much ahead of the overall phase-out target of 35% in the second phase of China.
For China's room air conditioner industry, the refrigerant replacement has been imperative.Previously, China's room air conditioner industry to determine the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) R410A as a transitional alternative technology to hydrocarbon refrigerant R290 as the main alternative route Alternative technology options, but with the Kigali amendment reached, the room air conditioner industry, refrigerant replacement technology trends have become increasingly clear.
In October 2016, all countries in the world reached the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol aimed at reducing HFCs with high greenhouse effect potential in Kigali, Rwanda, whether it be R410A as a transitional alternative technology or an individual enterprise Proposed as the next generation of refrigerant R32, have been included in the control directory, the reduction of the timetable has also been clear.
Upon request, the Kigali Amendment will enter into force on January 1, 2019, subject to the approval of at least 20 Parties, which, according to the latest news, ratified the Kigali amendment last month The number of countries awaiting the amendment has risen to 10, and international observers expect more countries to ratify the amendment by the end of the year. The amendment to Kigali entered into force and the worldwide reduction of HFCs has already started the countdown mode.
The Kigali Amendment plainly stated NO to the HFC alternative route, which means that once the HFC route is selected for the room air conditioner industry, there is still a need for a secondary alternative to the industry in the near future.
Wang Lei, vice chairman of China Household Electrical Appliances Association
Wang Lei, vice chairman of China Household Electrical Appliances Association, has repeatedly stressed that for such a large scale of China's room air conditioner industry, the second conversion for the industry caused by the loss is not just economic, even more deplorable is the technology R & D personnel The energy spent on a refrigerant.
Refrigerant prices forcing air conditioning industry choice R290
In addition to the pressure of international environmental protection policies, the refrigerant prices continued to rise, but also forcing the room air conditioner companies to consider other alternative technologies.Channel blockbuster quotations and Zhuochong blockbuster quotes have shown that since early this year, air-conditioning refrigerant R22, R32 , R410A prices rose sharply, although in the middle of the decline, but the overall price is still significantly higher than the previous year.However, compared with HCFC and HFC refrigerants, R290 prices have been relatively stable.
Xiao Xuezhi, deputy director of MEPC's Environmental Protection Cooperation Center, stressed that with the intensification of state environmental protection supervision and control costs, the supply of HCFC and HFC refrigerants is bound to decrease, while the increase in the amount of refrigerants in the whole industry inevitably results in the price of refrigerants rise.
Xiao Xuezhi, Deputy Director of Environmental Cooperation Center for Environmental Protection of MEP
In fact, the rising price of refrigerants is not our country's unique phenomenon. The global prices of HFC refrigerants have risen. Especially in the EU, the implementation of the F-Gas Act has resulted in the quota of HFC refrigerants becoming The scarcity of resources, competition among enterprises for such 'strategic supplies' drives up the price of HFCs.
Arno Kaschl, policy officer of the Directorate-General for Climate Action of the European Commission, made clear at the seminar on EU Fluorinated Gas Act resolution held in July that emissions and consumption of fluorine-containing gas within the EU are declining and enterprises are attaching more and more importance Their quotas. As the quota continues to cut, the quota prices are also continuing to rise.
In Italy, the soaring price of refrigerants has even aroused the dissatisfaction of local HVAC and refrigeration equipment manufacturers and industry associations.
According to Zhong Zhifeng, Deputy Director of the Third Cooperation Department of Environmental Protection Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, room air conditioner enterprises spend a lot of money to purchase HFC quotas, which is hard to accept. If R290 is adopted, the purchase quotas The cost savings, into their own profits.
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Cooperation Center for International Cooperation project three deputy director Zhong Zhifeng
HCFC-22 Accelerated Phase-Out, HFCs Cutback Shortly after the option of leaving the global room air-conditioner industry on the road to refrigerant replacement, there are few options for hydrocarbon-based refrigerant R290. In spite of its flammability flaws, Ozone layer, GWP close to zero and excellent cooling performance, determines the R290 is an ideal alternative technology options.
R290 rise in the world
As R290 technology loyal 'fans', China's room air conditioner industry in promoting R290 air conditioning technology research and development and product promotion process plays a crucial role.
China's room air conditioner industry in the first phase of compliance completed 19 290 air conditioner 整机 production line and four R290 compressor production line transformation, the formation of R290 air conditioning production capacity, and carried out the R290 air conditioning market, the relevant standards revision, technical exchanges And installation and maintenance training.Second phase, the whole industry will also transform at least 20 R290 air conditioner 整机 production lines and 3-4 R290 compressor production lines, and R290 air-conditioning marketing has also been the relevant state departments and industry associations as the first Two-stage compliance focus.
In our country, R290 air-conditioning project landed in succession, and R290 air-conditioners used by Shenzhen University, Nanyang Institute and UNDP Office in Beijing still operated well till now.R290 air-conditioners produced in our country have achieved a relatively high-volume Product exports, the United States and other local air-conditioning manufacturing enterprises are reaping more and more overseas orders.
Today, our country room air conditioner industry gradually gained global recognition of the industry, the international agencies even more generous expression of the R290 line support.
Ole Nielsen, head of the Montreal Protocol at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, said the R290 is a very good refrigerant, especially at high temperatures, and said that the R290 is technically very viable despite a security risk , But completely within the controllable range.
According to him, at present, Algeria, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia are already carrying out the renovation of the R290 air-conditioning production line. Some countries such as Pakistan, Brazil, Nigeria and Egypt are also going to rebuild the R290 production line. Some Caribbean countries and countries in South America, Eastern Europe and Central Asia R290 air conditioning installation and maintenance of capacity-building activities have been carried out.
Bernhard Siegele, an official with the German Agency for International Cooperation, said that India and other South Asian countries are speeding up their training network of installation and maintenance personnel for the R290 air conditioners. In the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, air-conditioning companies are actively trying to use R290 for refrigerant replacement .
According to him, Indian air-conditioning manufacturer Godrej has so far successfully installed more than 350,000 R290 air conditioners to date and has not had an R290 air-conditioning accident so far. The company also trained more than 4,500 R290 air-conditioning installation and maintenance workers.
Bernhard Siegele said that global air-conditioning manufacturers have shown strong demand for R290 technical assistance. The R290 air-conditioners have landed in most of the world's markets. 'The world is waiting for China's R290 air-conditioners.'
If the R290 air conditioner initially only a little bit of Mars in China and some developed markets in Europe, then the current R290 air conditioning has gradually showed a Liaoyuanzhishi, more and more countries and room air conditioner manufacturers, industrial chain-related businesses are remitted R290 air conditioning 'choir'.
We also face many challenges in promoting the R290 replacement technology: the standard limits on the refrigerant charge, the after-sales installation and maintenance system using R290 refrigerant products, etc. Wang Lei pointed out, 'However, we believe With more and more experience accumulated and more and more targeted work carried out, these challenges will eventually be overcome.