December 3, 2007

Volume 85, Number 49

p. 15

Partnership

Green Chill

EPA partnership encourages use of new refrigerants and prevention of leaks

Cheryl Hogue

Supermarkets and manufacturers of chemicals and cooling equipment are teaming up with EPA to promote use of new refrigerants and prevention of refrigerant leaks.

Launched last week, EPA's GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership is designed to help supermarkets prepare for the phaseout of hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22, the most widely used commercial refrigerant.

Under an international agreement, countries are accelerating the phaseout of HCFCs, which deplete stratospheric ozone and are greenhouse gases (C&EN, Oct. 1, page 11). U.S. production of HCFC-22 for use in new equipment will halt in 2010, though manufacture of small amounts will be permitted until 2020 to allow service of existing equipment that relies on the substance.

Most of the 34,000 supermarkets in the U.S. use HCFC-22 as the main refrigerant in coolers and freezers, according to EPA. The typical supermarket has about 4,000 lb of HCFC-22 in its cooling systems and can lose about 1,000 lb of the refrigerant each year through leaks, says Robert Meyers, EPA principal deputy assistant administrator for air and radiation.

The voluntary GreenChill partnership is designed to help supermarkets transition to refrigerants that do not deplete ozone.

To cut emissions of refrigerants, the partnership encourages supermarkets to adopt new technologies to reduce leakage. Nearly all refrigerants are potent greenhouse gases.

Ten companies initially signed up for GreenChill. They include DuPont and Honeywell International, which make refrigerants; two manufacturers of refrigeration equipment; and six grocery store chains.

Chemical & Engineering News

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