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Conference overview: Sustainable Management of Refrigeration Technologies in Marine and Off-Shore Fisheries Sectors

In partnership with the UNEP, ASHRAE and UNIDO, the IIR organised a conference in Bangkok (Thailand) in April 2017 on the Sustainable Management of Refrigeration Technologies in the Marine Sector and Offshore Fisheries.

Sustainable Management of Refrigeration Technologies in Marine and Off-Shore Fisheries Sectors

Co-organised conference with UNEP, ASHRAE, UNIDO and IIR

Conference overview: Sustainable Management of Refrigeration Technologies in Marine and Off-Shore Fisheries Sectors


In partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (ASHRAE) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) organised a conference in Bangkok (Thailand) in April 2017 on the Sustainable Management of Refrigeration Technologies in the Marine Sector and Offshore Fisheries.


The first of its kind, this conference, initiated by UNEP, confirmed the lack of existing data on this sector, which is partially outside the authority and monitoring of States. It also confirmed the difficulty States experience in replacing R22, a dominant refrigerant in today’s systems.

Alternatives exist, such as ammonia or CO2, but necessitate substantial changes to facilities. As such, it seems that the most commonly adopted solution to replace this Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), which is expected to disappear by 2030 in developing countries, is to replace it with hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) with a similar or higher GWP; their impact on energy efficiency being uncertain or possibly worse.


The conference was witness to intense debates as it was difficult to settle on the practical conclusions to be drawn from the R22 phase-out strategy. On the other hand, it was agreed to continue research to better identify the systems currently used and the options for replacement.


It will be necessary to promote technological developments, which are relatively easy to implement and inexpensive, in this sector that is still widely unknown. This task is both a necessity and urgent in the pursuit of our efforts on the environment, and we hope it will raise new interest among researchers and manufacturers.


 More information on the event.


Download the speaker presentations