TABLE OF CONTENTS

End user views on natural refrigerants
IF YOU HAD TO FORMULATE A GLOBAL ACTION PLAN TO BRING NATURAL REFRIGERANTS FASTER TO MARKET WHAT WOULD BE YOUR TOP
3 PRIORITIES?
“ In terms of rollout in developing and emerging economies
we need to see investment in training to support the units
once they are in service. We know that when you are going
into a new market with a new technology that has to go
lock-step with the investment in training, and people running
training companies need to think about whether they
are geared up to service these units. On the policy side, it
would be whether there is any scope for the things like the
Montreal Protocol to be extended to include natural refrigerants
so that we can use the funding that is available
through those channels to support the transition, not just
from HCFC to HFC but from HCFC to leapfrog into natural
refrigerants. It’s a big ask, it involves an international multilateral
process, but we could see a real step change if we
could get some kind of agreement like that.”
Thomas Lingard, Unilever
“In addressing cooling technologies, governments must initiate
a strong first step of setting a phase-out date for HFCs
and mandate natural refrigerants as the only acceptable
form of cooling gases. Simultaneously, they must tax the
use of HFCs as an incentive for the development and commercialization
of HFC-free technologies. Finally, to ensure
success, the industry needs an accompanying knowledge
and training network to address operational concerns.”
Antoine Azar, The Coca-Cola Company
“McDonald’s Germany opened the first HFC-free restaurant
in Heidelberg in October 2011. Resulting from our experience
with the HFC-free restaurant, availability is amongst
our top priorities when it comes to making natural refrigerants
widely accessible to the market. Suitable equipment
that is ready and available is indispensable. A second priority
is cost-effectiveness. The equipment operating on natural
refrigerants needs to be profitable in operation. Otherwise,
companies will not invest in it. Moreover, solutions for
cooling and air conditioning have to be operable in order
to set valuable incentives for changing to natural refrigerants.
Thus, operability is a third priority for bringing natural
refrigerants to the market.
Achieving these three priorities requires more commitment
from companies and politicians alike. Our suppliers have
already recognized these requirements. After the testing
phase, they will continue to develop the instrumentation to
make it marketable. However, in order to produce HFC-free
equipment that is readily available, cost-effective as well
as operationable, more stakeholder engagement is necessary.”
McDonald’s
“1. HEINEKEN would focus on stimulating EcoDesign for
further reductions in energy consumption and improvement
of natural refrigerant applications
2. HEINEKEN would focus on ensuring that appliances
comply with applicable legislation and the development
of industry standards for cooling and refrigeration
3. HEINEKEN would focus on increasing availability of
natural refrigerants and thereby achieving economies
of scale
HEINEKEN has chosen to invest in natural refrigerants because
of the better environmental performance, in terms of
energy use and carbon footprint impact, and because of
the value it offers to our customers. “
HEINEKEN
“You have to look first at labelling and certification in a
refrigeration training program. Technical issues can be
discussed forever, but they can be resolved. I would imbed
certification for refrigerant training and labelling in a comprehensive
system and have this certification system not
only cover natural refrigerants but all refrigerants. This will
also create confidence at the customer or end-user level.
Regarding equipment costs one could steer the selection of
natural refrigerants in a first instance through the lowering
of taxes, while also introducing higher taxes on high GWP
refrigerants.”
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Dr. Lambert Kuijpers, University Eindhoven