World News

BELIZE: The approval of the Kigali Amendment by Belize brings the number of countries to be legally bound by the agreement to phase down HFCs to 155.

USA: Trane Technologies has signed an agreement to acquire Nuvolo, a US company providing cloud-based connected workplace and enterprise asset management products and solutions.

UK: A-Gas has been authorised by Chemours as a reclaimer of the lower GWP HFC/HFO blend refrigerants R448A and R449A in the UK and Europe.

BELGIUM: Tests on an optimised CO2 version of Daikin’s Conveni-Pack refrigeration system is said to have shown 21% lower life cycle emissions compared to traditional R410A.

BELGIUM: A CO2-based energy network in Sion, Switzerland, won the Heat Pump City of the Year Award from the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA).

USA: Five people are confirmed dead after ammonia leaked from a tanker involved in a highway crash in Teutopolis, Illinois.

BELGIUM: Refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump component manufacturers have added their voice to the need for certain “critical exemptions” from any future PFAS bans.

DENMARK: Danfoss, Google, Microsoft and Schneider Electric have joined together in an initiative to accelerate the green transition of data centres.

BELGIUM: The European heat pump industry has called for more consistent government support after initial sales figures for 2023 show a worrying decline.

SWEDEN/USA: Swedish wholesaler Beijer Ref has signed an agreement to acquire its second outlet in the USA. 

USA: Carrier has backed the US Climate Alliance’s commitment to quadruple heat pump installations across the US by 2030.

FINLAND: The European proposals to restrict the use of PFAS chemicals have received more than 5,600 comments from more than 4,400 organisations, companies and individuals.

USA: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has agreed penalties totalling over $250,000 with two food producers for violating safety laws governing their ammonia refrigeration systems.

BELGIUM: The European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE) has requested an exemption for F-gases and fluoropolymers in any forthcoming PFAS restrictions.  

KENYA/MOLDOVA: Kenya and Moldova have become the latest countries to confirm acceptance of the Kigali Amendment.

USA: A group of 25 state governors and the Biden administration have pledged to quadruple the number of heat pumps in US homes to 20 million by 2030. The 25 governors make up the US Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition representing approximately 60% of the US economy and 55% of the US population. Announcing the commitments at a Climate Week NYC event, this week, White House national climate advisor Ali Zaidi said: “Combined with President Biden’s historic climate leadership, these bold commitments by governors to cut emissions from buildings will have a catalytic impact across America. “It will clean up the air our children breathe, save hardworking families money on their monthly energy bills, strengthen America’s climate resilience, and create good-paying jobs in every corner of the country.” 

GREECE: Two people have been arrested in the Greek town of Florina, northwestern Macedonia, for the illegal transport of 149 cylinders of  refrigerant.

BELGIUM: Daikin Europe has said it will not renew the contracts of 500 temporary employees at its plant in Ostend, due to a sharp fall in heat pump sales.

FRANCE/BELGIUM: US manufacturer Lennox has entered into an agreement to sell its European commercial HVAC and refrigeration businesses, headquartered in Lyon, to funds managed by Syntagma Capital. 

EUROPE: While the full implementation of a new European F-gas regulation is likely to be delayed, it is believed that negotiators are keen to reach agreement next month.

GERMANY: Carrier Commercial Refrigeration is collaborating with Munich-based IoT technology company Relayr to provide a refrigeration-as-a-service offering to customers.

ITALY: Vertiv has upgraded and increased the capacity of its chilled water test facility near Tognana, Italy.

FRANCE: The French Refrigeration Association, AFF, has called on its national representatives to persuade the European authorities to adopt realistic and balanced measures in the current F-gas negotiations.

SWEDEN/DENMARK: The Nordic Climate Group has further increased its presence in Denmark with the acquisition of Buus Køleteknik and Nordkøl.

SWEDEN: Swedish manufacturer Qvantum has acquired Electrolux’s Hungarian refrigerator factory with a potential output of one million propane heat pumps per year.

SWEDEN: Heat pump start-up Aira has signed a license agreement with Swedish manufacturer ES Energy Save Holding said to be worth up to SEK400m (€34m). 

ITALY: Commercial refrigeration equipment manufacturer Epta has strengthened its presence in the north of Germany with the acquisition of the refrigeration activities of Heifo GmbH.