- The Refrigerants LIFE Cycle Project, implemented by PROZON Foundation for Climate Protection, EKOTEZ and CHEMAT, is nearing its end.
- On this occasion, an international closing conference took place in Warsaw on June 19, 2024, marking the culmination of many months of difficult and demanding work on the project.
- During the event, lectures were given by Professors Janusz Kozakiewicz and Krzysztof Bieńczak, who emphasized the innovation of the installation and the importance of separation of refrigerant mixtures in relation to Regulation 2024/573.
At the beginning, the arriving guests – professors, experts, representatives of research and scientific institutions, government bodies, industry and trade organizations, the media, long-time partners and friends of the Foundation, students of technical universities and pupils, as well as those attending the online conference – were welcomed by the founders of PROZON Foundation for Climate Protection Krzysztof Grzegorczyk and Marek Wawryniuk, who introduced the attendees to the organization’s history and mission, and emphasized the importance of refrigerant projects for environmental protection.
Afterwards, PROZON representatives, CHEMAT and EKOTEZ partners, construction workers and people involved in the Refrigerants LIFE Cycle Project were invited to the stage, where they were thanked sincerely for their efforts in making the idea of building this technology a reality. It was a time of reflection and nostalgia, because when starting the project in 2019, it was impossible to predict how big the technological challenge would be, and the subsequent long months of work on the project required sacrifices.
After the ceremonial introduction, the floor was taken by Professor Janusz Kozakiewicz, who emphasized the special importance of the Refrigerants LIFE Cycle Project in relation to EU Regulation 2024/573. In his lecture, the professor presented the service prohibitions included in the Regulation, from which it follows that the use of regenerated F-gas refrigerants for servicing and maintenance of air conditioning, refrigeration and heat pump equipment is becoming a necessity in view of the gradual yet restrictive withdrawal of primary synthetic refrigerants from the market.
The importance of separation of refrigerant mixtures for science and industry was discussed by Professor Krzysztof Bieńczak, who emphasized the benefits of advanced separation technologies in both business and environmental terms. The expert also appreciated the possibility of further projects that could be an area of research for specialists and scientists.
A summary of the implementation of the Refrigerants LIFE Cycle Project with a demonstration plant for separation of refrigerant mixtures was given by project manager Martyna Jankiewicz and discussed the main objectives of the project. The first goal was achieved, that is, HFC emissions were reduced by 74,000 tons of CO2 equivalent from separation at the separation plant alone. Another goal was the construction of an installation of several-meter rectification columns integrated with the PSA module. The installation was sited and optimized together with CHEMAT. The speaker also stressed the importance of the project in terms of international cooperation, as PROZON has established new collaborations with as many as 13 countries in the European Union, which provides the opportunity to collect increasing amounts of refrigerants for regeneration. The network of national collaborations is also growing. On the other hand, thanks to industry meetings, conferences, but also non-industry events such as picnics, open days and social actions, it was possible to reach the general public and raise awareness about the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment.
An interesting part of the conference were the videos – the first showing the stages of the demonstration plant project – from the foundations of the facility to the start-up of the plant, and the second telling in detail the technology of regeneration, separation and adsorption.
The chief technologist, Marzena Czapnik, PhD, talked about the subsequent stages of the installation’s implementation. The speaker discussed the various activities that the CHEMAT team undertook on the project, from verification of technological diagrams and detailed drawings, to adaptation of the design and purchase of equipment, to construction of the installation’s main equipment, commissioning, testing and optimization.
After a short break, the assembled guests had the opportunity to learn about the assumptions of other projects carried out with concern for the environment. Dr. Bartosz Gil, Eng. told about Coolspaces 4 LIFE, a pioneering technology to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings using a solar-powered cooling system.
Next, Martyna Jankiewicz spoke about the PROZON Project of the Climate Protection Foundation in cooperation with Wroclaw University of Technology, EKOTEZ and K-NET, i.e. RE-ELECTRO 4 LIFE and the innovative system for reusing dismantled refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. As the speaker emphasized, PROZON has been accepting dismantled refrigeration and air conditioning equipment for many years along with accepting refrigerant. So the idea was born to manage them precisely in the RE-ELECTRO 4 LIFE Project.
The final conference speech was given by Iwona Bombik, Project Manager of the LEGAL HFC 4 LIFE Project, which aims to develop collaborative tools to stop F-gas smuggling. This is a topic that the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry has been facing for many years, and requires close cooperation between many entities and government bodies. The project manager presented the main assumptions of the project, the activities undertaken so far and the planned next steps in the implementation of the project, which is expected to contribute to raising awareness and knowledge among industry representatives, government officials and the general public on the handling of illegal HFCs and legislative changes, as well as drawing attention to the problem of smuggling of agents.
After listening to all the speeches, guests could test their knowledge in a quiz prepared by the conference organizer. The questions related to the objectives and goals of the projects the speakers talked about. Material prizes awaited the winners of the competition.
The ceremonial conference closing the Refrigerants LIFE Cycle Project was concluded none other than at the site of the already famous refrigerant mixture separation installation in Grabce Józefpolskie, at the 4R PROZON plant of the Climate Protection Foundation. President Krzysztof Grzegorczyk welcomed the guests to the site and introduced the attendees to the history of the creation of the new facility. Visitors were able to admire the plant up close, and in the control room, process engineer Marta Olszewska talked about its operation. The presentation was awe-inspiring, and the guests did not mince words of appreciation, as the visit to the 4R installation was a unique opportunity for them to gain a practical understanding of modern refrigerant separation methods.
PROZON Foundation for Climate Protection would like to thank you for your presence and involvement, which significantly contributed to the success of our event. We listened to inspiring presentations that provided valuable information on the latest regulations, technological innovations and projects aimed at environmental protection in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector. We are confident that the exchange of experiences and the contacts made during the conference will have a positive impact on the development of our industry.
We hope that the conference has been a source of new inspiration and ideas for your future activities. We also look forward to continued cooperation and joint implementation of future projects that will contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development!
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The event was attended by more than 120 people in total. During the online conference, simultaneous translation was available for the participants, as well as materials with prepared subtitles in English, so our partners from the Czech Republic and Italy, among others, could comfortably participate in the entire event. A recording of the conference can be viewed here.
