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The huge and alarming CFC-11 spike must inevitably raise questions as to the fitness of the Montreal Protocol’s institutions and controls. ― Avipsa Mahapatra, EIA
to minimize the uptake of medium-GWP transitional refrigerants in ACs. This, it said, is key for a smooth implementation of the Kigali Amendment. The NGO points out work is ongoing to allow higher charge limits for flammable refrigerants in air conditioning and heat pump equipment under IEC 60335-2-40. “The ‘Committee Draft for Vote’ (CDV) is anticipated by the end of 2019 and may result in publication of a new edition of the standard by 2021, provided it is approved in two rounds of voting,” the report says. The current hydrocarbon charge limit for factory-made whole air conditioners and heat pumps is approximately 1 kg in a direct system inside, depending on room size, and 5 kg outside or in a special enclosure. Safety improvement measures that could support higher charges include improved leak tightness of the system, guaranteeing sufficient airflow in a room and the inclusion of leak-limiting valves, according to "International Safety Standards in Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Heat Pump," a 2018 report by GIZ (German Corporation for International Cooperation). The EIA urges Parties to actively support the AC standard update, especially countries in the process of phasing out HCFCs so that they can bypass interim solutions and directly invest in energy efficient, low-GWP hydrocarbons for room air conditioning. Accelerate Magazine // July - August 2019
CFC-11 production in China Through its report, the EIA issued a blistering criticism of the Montreal Protocol’s failure to oversee illegal production of outlawed refrigerants such as CFC-11. “The huge and alarming CFC-11 spike must inevitably raise questions as to the fitness of the Montreal Protocol’s institutions and controls," said Avipsa Mahapatra, EIA’s climate campaign lead based in Washington, D.C. High emissions of CFC-11 were initially exposed by scientists in a letter to the journal Nature. EIA’s subsequent investigations identified illegal production and use of CFC-11 in China for the polyurethane (PU) foam insulation sector as the likely root cause. A new study in May confirmed the findings, primarily in the northeastern provinces of Hebei and Shandong; 40% to 60% or more of the global emissions increase since 2012 can be attributed to this region. China reported it has destroyed two illegal CFC-11 production facilities, seized 29.9 metric tons of illegally produced CFC-11 and has investigated 1,172 companies in China. But the EIA points out there are still knowledge gaps with regards to the production methodology, capacity and sales markets of those facilities, among others. MB