The second phase of HCFC phase-out management in China's room air conditioner industry is officially launched

2017 is an important year for China's room air conditioner industry. During this year, a number of policies and standard boots have been launched. The convening of important international conferences has not only made Chinese room air conditioner manufacturers further understand international and domestic policies The situation also allows the international community to see the ideas and determination of the Chinese government and industry, and these will have an important impact on the future development of China's room air conditioner industry.

On March 11, 2017, the second phase of the HCFC phase-out of the room air conditioner and household heat pump water heater industry was jointly organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Italian Ministry of Environment, Territories and Oceans, the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection ’s Environmental Cooperation Center and the China Household Electrical Appliances Association. The "management plan start-up meeting" was held in Shanghai, which marked the official start of the second phase of HCFC phase-out management work in China's room air conditioner industry.

According to the requirements of the second phase of the HCFC phase-out management plan for the Chinese room air conditioner and domestic heat pump water heater industry approved by the 77th Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund Executive Committee, the second phase of China's room air conditioner and domestic heat pump water heater industry will be in Based on the first phase, we will accelerate the elimination of HCFCs and plan to reduce the baseline by 20% by 2018 and 45% by 2020, which is much ahead of the original target of a 35% reduction by 2020.

While accelerating the elimination of HCFC refrigerant R22, China's room air conditioner industry is also facing the choice of refrigerant replacement technology. Comprehensively considering the current international and domestic policy trends, it has become an inevitable trend to choose ozone-friendly and low-carbon and environmentally friendly hydrocarbon working fluid R290. In the second phase, China's room air conditioner industry will accelerate the adoption of R290 refrigerant and the transformation of its production line, transforming at least 20 R290 room air conditioner production lines and 3 R290 compressor production lines.

QB / T 4975-2016 "Safety Technical Specification for the Use of Flammable Refrigerants in the Production of Household and Similar Use Room Air Conditioners" and QB / T 4976-2016 "Transportation of Room Air Conditioners Using Flammable Refrigerants" The "Special Requirements" two industry standards were approved and released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and implemented on April 1, 2017.

These two standards respectively stipulate the safety technical requirements, operating procedures, safety management for the production of household and similar room air conditioners using flammable refrigerants, as well as the room air conditioner products using flammable refrigerants that are involved in land transportation after leaving the factory The safety requirements of China make up for the lack of standards for the safe production and product transportation of room air conditioners that use flammable refrigerants in China, which allows China ’s air-conditioning enterprises to follow the rules in the transformation of production lines and product storage and transportation, which helps promote our country. The room air conditioner industry is accelerating the adoption of environmentally friendly refrigerants.

April 11, 2017, co-sponsored by the Environmental Protection Foreign Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the China Household Electrical Appliances Association, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the United Nations Environment Program, co-organized by the United Nations Development Programme, the German International Cooperation Agency, and the China Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association International seminar on R290 refrigerant application design, manufacturing and installation in the room air conditioner industry was held in Ningbo, Zhejiang. This meeting invited relevant representatives of Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern countries to participate in the meeting. Through the conference explanation and field visits to the Oaks manufacturing plant and Zhejiang Jiaxing Nanyang Vocational and Technical College, it made them understand the refrigerant replacement technology route proposal of the Chinese room air conditioner industry, The R & D and manufacturing capabilities and product operation conditions have strengthened the confidence of the global room air conditioner industry to take the ozone-friendly and low-carbon environmentally friendly refrigerant alternative route.

The European Union is an important pole on the global political and economic stage and one of the main export destinations of China's room air conditioners and household refrigerators / freezers. The EU's policy on the environmental protection of household appliances has always led the global policy trend. The EU Fluorine Gas Act is a regulation that has an important impact on the global refrigeration and air conditioning industry.

On July 17, 2017, sponsored by the China Household Electrical Appliances Association and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, co-organized by the United Nations Environment Program, the United Nations Development Programme, and the German International Cooperation Agency, and supported by the Environmental Protection Cooperation Center of the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, the European Commission Seminar on countermeasures of EU Fluorine Gas Act was held in Beijing. At this meeting, the organizers invited the drafters of the EU Fluorine Gas Act to interpret the Act in detail.

The EU Fluorine Gas Act requires member states of the European Union to implement fluorine gas production and import quota management. From January 2017, all imported HFCs pre-filled equipment will require authorized quotas, otherwise they will not be able to enter the EU market. Not only that, the European Union is also cutting quotas year by year, and in 2018 will be reduced by 37% from the baseline level.

The EU's fluorine-containing gas quota has become a scarce resource, with fewer and fewer quotas and higher and higher prices. For Chinese companies, this means that the threshold for exporting to the EU is gradually increasing. If HFC refrigerant is used, China's room air conditioner companies may lose the EU's vast market. In order to gain a foothold in the EU market, China's room air-conditioner companies must recognize the situation and adopt a lower-carbon and environmentally friendly refrigerant.

On September 12, the 30th anniversary commemorative meeting of the "Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer" concluded by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the United Nations Environment Program and hosted by the Environmental Protection Foreign Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Environmental Protection was held in Beijing.

In his congratulatory letter to the conference, Premier Li Keqiang clearly stated that the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol reached in 2016 “opened a new chapter in the history of coordinated response to ozone depletion and climate change, and China will continue to assume its due international obligations, Deeply carry out international exchanges and cooperation in the field of environmental protection and make new contributions to global ecological security. "

Minister of Environmental Protection Li Ganjie also clearly emphasized in his speech that China should speed up the process of ratification of the Kigali amendment, make full preparations for the implementation of the amendment, and promote the development and application of green and low-carbon alternative technologies, and vigorously develop the ozone layer Alternative technologies that are friendly, climate-friendly, and meet energy-saving safety requirements.

The Chinese government ’s position has already indicated the way for refrigerant replacement in China ’s room air conditioner industry, that is, using green and low-carbon alternative technologies that are not in the list of controlled substances in the Kigali Amendment. Quality R290.

On November 3, 2017, the Room Air Conditioner Industry HCFC- co-sponsored by the Environmental Protection Foreign Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Development Programme, the German International Cooperation Agency, and the China Household Electrical Appliances Association 22 International Exchange Conference on Alternative Technologies was held in Hefei.

Refrigerant substitution is a common problem faced by the global room air conditioner industry. Especially after the Kigali Amendment of the Montreal Protocol was reached, the global room air conditioner refrigerant replacement direction has been clear: it must be harmless to the ozone layer and low-carbon and environmentally friendly.

China is the world's largest room air conditioner manufacturing country, and the annual HCFC-22 replacement technology international exchange meeting in the room air conditioner industry is the largest international seminar in this field. Through this platform, China's room air conditioner industry expresses its technical proposition to the international community-using natural working fluid R290 as an alternative technology. The idea of ​​China's room air conditioner industry has been supported by international institutions. At the same time, technical exchange through this platform will also help to unite the industry and jointly promote the application and development of environmentally friendly refrigerants in the room air conditioner industry.

In 2016, the international community reached a Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol aimed at reducing potent greenhouse gas HFCs. As of November 17, 2017, there were more than 20 Contracting States that approved the amendment. The Kigali Amendment met the conditions for entry into force and will enter into force on January 1, 2019.

After the Kigali Amendment comes into effect, developed countries will reduce HFCs consumption year by year starting in 2019, and by 85% at the baseline level by 2036; most developing countries, including China, will freeze HFCs consumption by 2024 And cuts from 2029.

On the surface, China still has a long time to wait for the freezing and reduction of HFCs consumption, but China is the world ’s largest exporter of room air conditioners. Developed countries are important export destinations for room air conditioners in China. Failure to switch air-conditioning refrigerants and production lines in time will face the risk of losing markets in developed countries and will be at a disadvantage in global competition.

On November 23, 2017, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the "Montreal Protocol", at the "Ozone Layer Protection" award ceremony in Montreal, Canada, Xia Yingxian, Director of the International Division of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the International Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, China Household Appliances Association And State Grid reporter Chen Jianming in the media of the China Household Appliances Association won the "Ozone Layer Protection Policy and Implementation Leadership Award", "Ozone Layer Protection Political Leadership Award", "Ozone Layer Protection Partner Award" and "Ozone Layer Protection Partner Award" issued by the United Nations Environment Program and the Government of Canada. "Best Media Promotion Award for the Protection of the Ozone Layer".

The international community commends the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the China Household Electrical Appliances Association for not only commending the Chinese government and industry for their tremendous contributions to protecting the ozone layer and the ecological safety of the planet, but also affirming China ’s technical route proposition. The Kigali amendment has clear policy-oriented significance.

It is worth mentioning that while accelerating the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances under the framework of the Montreal Protocol, it is also necessary to reduce HFCs with high greenhouse-potential potential in accordance with the requirements of the Kigali Amendment. The global HVAC and refrigeration and air conditioning industry poses huge challenges. China's room air conditioner industry uses ozone-friendly and environmentally friendly low-carbon natural refrigerant R290 as a refrigerant replacement technology, but it provides a reasonable solution to this worldwide problem. The praise of the international community is the recognition and praise for this technology choice in China's room air conditioner industry.

In December 2016, the IEC60335-2-40 international standard SC61D / WG16 working group meeting hosted by the China Household Electrical Appliances Association formed a consultation draft on refrigerant leakage, which was hosted by the China Household Electrical Appliances Association as the host of the IEC International The first draft for consultation was formed at the standard revision meeting, and the consultation was completed and processed in 2017.

All along, because the international community does not have an urgent need for the use of flammable refrigerants, the International Standards Organization lacks systematic research on flammable refrigerants, which has led to extremely stringent restrictions on the charge limit of flammable refrigerants. But as the international community demands