Frascold, leading player in the development, production and marketing of semi-hermetic compressors serving the refrigeration and air conditioning industry, highlights the importance in identifying alternative technologies to HFCs, to consider numerous aspects, including energy consumption, a priority issue in the context of the work of the Montreal Protocol and an extremely important factor in the refrigeration sector. The 38th Informatory Note on Refrigeration Technologies published by the International Institute of Refrigeration indicates that as much as 20% of the electricity used worldwide is used in this sector.

The choice of the ideal refrigerant for each application is the result of the correct balance between different factors, including efficiency, safety, ease of use, sustainability, performance, costs and availability of gas on the market, as well as its suitability for the type of use. The F gas regulation, the Kigali Protocol, as well as the regulations implemented at national level, are projecting the industry towards an increasingly widespread adoption of low GWP (Global Warming Potential) refrigerants. In this sense, Frascold is committed in this direction by supporting investments in Research and Development, with the aim of generating added value for Customers.

The World Scenario

On a global level, concrete actions have already been taken in favor of a drastic reduction in the production and consumption of HFCs. In detail, the Kigali Protocol, ratified by 92 nations plus the European Union, has foreseen, already in 2019, the start of the phase down in developed countries, which will be followed by the start-up phase in developing countries in 2024 ( eg China, Brazil and South Africa) and in 2028 (eg India and the Gulf countries) in order to consume no more than 15-20% of the respective basic quotas by 2047. 

Europe, by virtue of the regulation F-gas, now in force since 2015, is at the forefront of adopting alternative solutions, in order to achieve ambitious and more stringent objectives by 2030. Starting from 1 January 2020, for example, the sale of fixed refrigeration systems that contain, or whose operation is based, on HFCs with GWP equal to or greater than 2,500, except for some cases provided for by law.

The Sustainable Turn: The FRASCOLD Approach

The demand for refrigeration and air conditioning systems is constantly growing. Identifying alternatives that are not climate-altering or characterized by a low GWP, which makes it possible to comply with the obligations established by the regulations is therefore a priority. In this sense, Frascold assumes a leading role and invests in research and development to define new standards in terms of reliability, performance and efficiency. In fact, the Company dedicates huge resources to the enhancement of its wide range, to overcome the challenges of the market and to put the individual needs of the Customers always at the center of its strategy. 

Frascold already offers alternatives to R404A and R507A, among the first gases to be subject to restrictions and combines natural refrigerant solutions, such as hydrocarbons (HC) or CO2 with HFOs for a wide range of applications in single systems, multi-compressor and cascade systems.