Transport of refrigerated and chilled products like food is on the rise worldwide. Whether goods are transported on the road, by train or ship, the cooling temperatures must be maintained exactly. Many transport refrigeration units contain fluorinated refrigerants acting as greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These substances need to be replaced by refrigerants having less impact on the climate.
Increasing volumes of frozen or chilled products are being shipped not only in Europe, but also worldwide. The means of transport are refrigerated vehicles, containers or ships. At ambient temperatures ranging from minus 40 °C to plus 40 °C the refrigeration systems need to be able to maintain the required freight temperatures.
Transport refrigeration systems not only consume energy, but are also a source of refrigerants’ emission into the atmosphere while in operation and due to maintenance, repair and accidents. Most transport refrigeration systems use fluorinated refrigerants that are greenhouse gases and thus enhance the global warming. In transport refrigeration considerable savings could potentially be realized not only in energy consumption but also in regards to the refrigerant.
In the UBA report titled "Avoiding Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases – Prospects for Phasing Out", there is more information available concerning various refrigerated cargo systems in refrigerated vehicles, refrigerated containers and ships, as well as on the replacement of the currently used refrigerants by climate friendly refrigerants.
The impact of climate change will be felt more strongly in the future – and in Germany too. This is the conclusion reached in what is called the vulnerability analysis, a comprehensive study on Germany's vulnerability to climate change.
