Professor Xinrong Zhang of Department of Energy and Resources Engineering, College of Engineering attended the annual Ozone Climate Industry Roundtable 2013 conference held in Shanghai New International Exhibition Center recently and gave a theme talk on the development of alternative refrigerants in China.

The annual Ozone Climate Industry Roundtable 2013 was organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and China Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry Association (CRAA), aiming at the promotion of international cooperation and industrial innovations in Ozone Layer protection projects. Roundtable delegates included Governors, Researchers, Entrepreneurs, Industrial as well as NGO persons from related countries all around the world.

Specially, the project officers from environment protection related government sectors of China, United States and Japan, project managers and major industrial leaders from China Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry Association (CRAA), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Council of Air-Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Heating Manufacturers Associations (ICARHMA), American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) also attended the conference and presented their views on the international cooperation and industrial strategies regarding the development of environmental benign refrigerants.

Major topics of the roundtable included the latest international policy on alternative refrigerants, industrial progress and roadmap, high efficiency air-conditional and refrigeration technologies, long-term Ozone Layer protection and future refrigeration industry, challenges of the new substitutes of HCFCs, social and economical influences of the new generation refrigerants, etc.

Xinrong Zhang was invited as one of the two researchers from China side to give a theme talk on the development of alternative refrigerants in China. His report was titled as: “Development of CO2 Refrigeration in China: Opportunities and Challenges”. In the talk, Xinrong Zhang focused on the latest development of CO2 natural refrigerant technologies in China and outlined the general picture of the related innovations and market prospect in related industry sectors. His talk attracted much attention of the guests. In the roundtable discussion, many delegates expressed the interest of natural refrigerants, such as CO2, and exchanged ideas on the technical challenges and future cooperative innovations with him. Xinrong Zhang also attended other related topic discussions and activities during the 2013 Roundtable.

For more information please link: http://tj.etowz.com/2013/0410/366611.html

Background:
The Ozone Climate Industry Roundtable is organized annually by UNEP and CRAA since 2012. The aim of this conference is to faster the elimination of HCFCs refrigerants and the promotion of environmental benign refrigeration technologies. With very high Global Warming Potential (GWP), HCFCs will gradually fade out in the refrigeration industry and will be replaced by new generation refrigerants with zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and low Global Warming Potential (ODP). The Roundtable is one of the major platforms of international discussion and cooperation in alternative refrigerants and technologies, where delegates from diverse sectors and different countries will exchanges their ideas and share the latest information and technological developments, so as to promote the joint global efforts toward a clean and sustainable world.