Brussels, 10 July 2018 – The first-ever ATMOsphere conference on natural refrigerants to be held exclusively in French took place in Paris on 5 July 2018, at the InterContinental Paris Marceau, with 105 registered participants from 55 organisations and 21 expert speakers, supported by ten sponsors and partners.
shecco Group CEO Marc Chasserot emphasised the large potential for natural refrigerants in France during his introductory speech. “I’m optimistic that the natural refrigerants market will continue to grow. We’re still not at 10% of the market worldwide, so the potential is huge. There are so many great companies working with natural refrigerants out there. The best is yet to come,” he stated.
The highlight of the conference was the Policy Session with French MP Matthieu Orphelin, Ina Colombo of the Institut International du Froid (IIF) and Marie Battesti of shecco on the stage, moderated by Chasserot.
Underlining his support for climate-friendly technologies such as natural refrigerants, Matthieu Orphelin said: “If we lose the climate change battle, we’ll lose all the other battles too. We’ve got international and European agreements on HFC emissions to live up to. We need to move faster. The HFC tax in the Plan Climat is about moving forward on this.”
“It’s about giving industry a progressive signal of the trajectory that we’re on. We’re introducing this tax progressively. The technologies are already out there. It’s not about experimenting with new technologies. It’s about giving the market a signal that this is the direction we’re taking – it’s the role of the state to do this,” Orphelin added.
More support for natural refrigerant-based technologies came from end users, with Jean-Michel Fleury of Carrefour and David Schalenbourg of Delhaize giving presentations about working with natural refrigerants and their future plans.
“Our mission to convert our stores to natural refrigerants began in 2011. Natural refrigerants are also a philosophy […] towards the achievement of our personal objectives beyond their technical advantages,” said Jean-Michel Fleury, project director – international support, Carrefour Group.
“The use of natural refrigerants is now mandatory for all new installations at Carrefour. We’re targeting 100% natural refrigerants in all our installations, stores and logistics centres included, by 2030,” Fleury said. “Group-wide, we’re committed to bringing everyone on this journey.”
“Transitioning to natural refrigerants simply makes sense. By 2030, we’ll be HFC-free,“ said David Schalenbourg, director of department – building projects, format & maintenance at Delhaize Belgium. “Our objective is to show the way, help to transform the market, and show others what’s possible, It’s about removing any lingering doubts and fears. We’re demonstrating that natural refrigerants are the way to go,” he added.
Participants broke into a spontaneous round of applause during Schalenbourg’s presentation for Delhaize’s rooftop urban farm in Brussels, which uses the heat of the supermarket’s cooling equipment to make the fruits and vegetables grow.
The market trends session brought together leading manufacturers of natural refrigerant-based technologies Profroid, Engie Axima and Hauser, as well as Frigoristes Solidaires, a ‘Makerspace’ to encourage wider use of natural refrigerants, promote careers in HVAC&R, and share knowledge. The key message from the session was that training is key to boost the French natural refrigerant market and that raising awareness and technical competence is essential.
The conference also saw eight leading companies present technology case studies, showcasing the latest technological advancements and efficiency results from Profroid, Engie Axima, CAREL, LU-VE, Panasonic, Tewis, DORIN and AF Consulting.
The event concluded with a networking dinner reception.
Click here for more coverage of the conference (in French), here to see the website and here for the programme and presentations.
About shecco
For the last 17 years, market accelerator shecco has been active in helping bring climate-friendly technologies faster to market. shecco supports over 100 partners worldwide in the HVAC&R sector, where the focus is on sustainable refrigeration, heating & cooling technologies using natural refrigerants. shecco offers a variety of services in three areas: 1) media, including online industry platforms, magazines and a catalog of dedicated research reports; 2) market development, including market research, consultancy and public affairs services, as well as special international projects; and 3) events, including international conferences and national workshops.
Contact
Pilar Aleu
Deputy Manager Events & Marketing
pilar.aleu@shecco.eu
+32 2 230 37 00
