Potential Impacts of the Montreal Protocol Kigali Amendment to the Choice of Refrigerant Alternatives

The paper first gives a description of the “ Kigali Amendment” established HFC phase-down as decided by the Montreal Protocol parties in Kigali, Rwanda, October 2016. Baselines, freeze dates, schedules for the reductions of HFC consumption for both developing and developed country groups, as well as the 17 HFCs that are now included in the Montreal Protocol are summarized. The list of alternatives for HCFC- 22 including high-GWP HFC replacements is given, and considerations regarding the choice of refrigerant, both low-GWP synthetic and “natural” refrigerant alternatives are presented. The low-GWP refrigerant flammability issue and the performance of equipment at high ambient regions are described. It is discussed whether the potential impacts of the Kigali Amendment will be reinforcing the momentum of applications using low-GWP refrigerants and the innovation for sustainable RACHP technologies