Natural Refrigeration – IIR Ammonia Conference

Adapting to the natural refrigerants is like going back to the future. It is like exploring the world and then come back to the starting point to rediscover it with renewed awards. Ammonia refrigeration, if used safely, and with higher energy efficiency it not only helps in eliminating the direct emission of the GHGs but also indirect emissions of the CO2 due to the reduced energy consumption. The ammonia-refrigeration industry needs to further work to make the systems more reliable and efficient as matter of priority. The health benefits due to improving energy efficiency are also significant. The burning of fossil fuel in power generation and transport industry causes air pollution. According to the World Health Organization, three million people die each year from the effects of air pollution: that is to say, 5% of the 55 million annual deaths in the world. Every improvement in energy efficiency will result into health benefits that could be  beyond the estimation.

The Montreal Protocol has resulted in significant net benefits for human health, fisheries, agriculture and building materials.  Technological innovation driven by the Protocol is creating additional economic and environmental benefits.  By implementing this treaty alone, the world is avoiding 1.5 million cases of skin cancer, 330,000 deaths due to skin cancer and 129 million cases of cataracts.  Benefits to agricultural production are estimated to be about US$ 190 billions by 2060.  Total economic benefits are estimated to the US$ 459 billion as compared to the cost of implementation of US$ 235 billion – a significant net economic benefit. I have no doubt that these benefits will further increase with the extensive use of the natural refrigerants.

HCFC 22 challenge: One of the ODS used as refrigerant i.e. HCFC 22 has been useful in implementing the Montreal protocol so far. Elimination of HCFC 22 is one of the remaining challenges under the Montreal Protocol. Let us not forget that HCFC 22 is also powerful GHG. But the immediate challenge is the increasing consumption of HCFC 22 in the developing country. The ammonia is leading candidate for the replacement of HCFC 22 in the industrial refrigeration. It has great appeal for its thermodynamic efficiency. Ammonia refrigeration industry has a potential role to play in developing reliable ammonia systems in the developing country situations based on the success in water cooled chillers increasingly used in the developed countries.

UNEP’s Division of Technology, Industry and Economics in Paris has been operating the first ever capacity building and technical cooperation of the programme to assist developing countries to meet their compliance of the Montreal Protocol. That programme has recently won 2005 Stratospheric Ozone Layer Protection award of USA in ‘Leadership and Innovation in assisting the developing countries’. This award shows that we have to continue to provide such assistance till the work under the Protocol is completed. I would like to appeal to the ammonia refrigeration industry and IIR to join hands with UNEP DTIE’s OzonAction programme in this endeavor.

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