World News

FRANCE: To mark World Refrigeration Day, the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) is calling for refrigeration to be recognised as critical infrastructure for health, food security, energy efficiency and climate sustainability. 

USA: Bill McQuade, Baltimore Aircoil’s vice president for government affairs and global sustainability, has been installed as the 2025-26 president of ASHRAE. 

GERMANY:  Viessmann Deutschland GmbH, responsible for the sales of Viessmann Climate Solutions in Germany, is expanding its managing directors team.

UAE: Dubai-based district cooling service provider Empower has launched its annual summer campaign to limit air conditioning in the region to 24ºC.

KENYA: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has produced a guide to support governments in the integration of sustainable cooling into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

ITALY: Authorities in Italy have intercepted 13.6 tonnes of illegal virgin R404A and R507A of Chinese origin bound for Salerno.

BELGIUM: Eurovent has released a new recommendation on moisture recovery in ventilation and air conditioning systems.

USA: A US refrigeration engineer has been awarded nearly $77m after losing most of his fingers and parts of his hands during a supermarket refrigerant leak.

CHINA/USA: Midea has met with representatives of the US Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) to discus future collaboration on regional energy efficiency standards and streamline regulatory pathways. 

PORTUGAL: The Portuguese association of M&E contractors and installers has called for an extension of its government’s reduced 6% VAT rate for air conditioning and heat pumps. 

UK: Refrigerant supplier and reclaimer A-Gas has joined the European Data Centre Association (EUDCA), as a member of its technical committee.

GERMANY: Latest data from German system operators show a steep decline in refrigerant emissions since 2017.

ITALY: World Refrigeration Day and the European contractors’ group AREA have signed a new memorandum of understanding to promote further co-operation between the two bodies.

ITALY: Daikin is to introduce a new high-temperature option for its VZ series of water-to-water heat pumps, capable of supplying hot water at temperatures up to 90°C.

BELGIUM: Armstrong International has commenced work on a new high temperature industrial heat pump production facility at its site in Herstal, Belgium.

ITALY: Beniamino Fambri, holder of a laurea magistrale in energy engineering from Italy’s Politecnico di Milano, was a double winner of student awards at this month’s 15th CLIMA World Congress.

UK: Mitsubishi Electric is to begin phasing out its Ecodan R32 heat pumps in Europe to be replaced by its extended next-generation range of Ecodan R290 units.

JAPAN/USA: Hoshizaki, the Japanese manufacturer of commercial food and beverage refrigeration equipment, is set to acquire US display case company Structural Concepts Corporation. 

JAPAN: Daikin has invested in Asuene Co Ltd, a Tokyo-based startup company that provides services to visualise CO2 emissions and support decarbonisation and ESG management.

INDIA: A worker at Carrier Airconditioning & Refrigeration has died as a result of what has been described as a compressor “explosion” at the company’s plant in Gurugram, India.

USA: Reports from distributors suggest the USA has reached a significant milestone in its transition to lower GWP refrigerants with sales of A2L equipment surpassing 50%.

USA: Chemours has appointed Nathan Blom as vice president of its liquid cooling portfolio.

BELGIUM: Eurovent has produced a new recommendation discussing the application of moisture recovery from extract air in general ventilation and combined ventilation and air conditioning systems.

JAPAN: Carrier is to introduce its data centre cooling solutions to the Japanese market for the first time at next week’s information and communications technology exhibition, Interop Tokyo.

ITALY: ADM, Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency, claims to have uncovered and seized nearly 500 tonnes of illegal refrigerant last year.

BELGIUM: Livio Mazzarella has been appointed president of REHVA, the federation of European heating, ventilation and air conditioning associations.

USA/TURKEY: Italian controls manufacturer Carel has announced two key leadership appointments within its group companies Senva Inc and CFM Sogutma.