Post HCFC22 Commercial Refrigeration Sector in Mauritius: HFC or Natural Refrigerants

摘要

The commercial refrigeration sector worldwide has decided to phase out HCFCs, in line with sustainablerndevelopment. Mauritius has also adhered to this initiative, and in this paper, this Government enterprise isrncritically examined as a means to address the implications of this phase out and its impact on countriesrnbound by Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol. An initial survey carried out has revealed a significant increasernin the number of supermarkets, correlating with an increase in electricity consumption. The emerging use ofrnR-404A as an alternative has also been noted. However, the long term viability of this refrigerant is highlyrnundermined by its high GWP. The discussion revolves around the challenge of finding the most appropriaternrefrigerant and refrigeration cycle for supermarkets in countries with tropical climates, and the need to adoptrna more focused approach to inform that choice if the issue of global warming is to be addressed properly.