Atmosphere 2009 will be the first global conference on natural refrigerants to be held in Brussels, Belgium. The event on October 10-20, 2009, will bring together industry and finance experts, as well as policy makers to discuss CO₂, ammonia, and hydrocarbons. As a milestone on the way to Copenhagen discussions, the conference will sum up the technical, political, and economic challenges and opportunities natural refrigerants are still facing.

“Atmosphere 2009, simply put, is going to bring together leading experts worldwide to talk about how we can get natural refrigerants faster to market,” says Marc Chasserot, managing director, shecco, a marketing and communications consultancy overseeing the event. “There are huge market opportunities for these natural refrigerants and Atmosphere 2009 will be a key event to discuss these.”

The Idea

In a time when global discussions are more and more determined by concerns for the environment, natural refrigerants offer a market-ready and sustainable solution to replace fluorinated gases around the world.

Atmosphere 2009 will be different from other events in the HVAC&R area as it tries to give CO₂, ammonia, and hydrocarbons the same strong voice. Dedicated workshop sessions on each refrigerant will shed light on technology options currently available, market opportunities, and key policies. Legislators and environmental groups active in reducing low and high-GWP synthetic refrigerants will present their view on how to overcome barriers for natural refrigerants at the national and international level. More importantly, key players from the investment community will be invited to outline financial opportunities for a wider use of R744, R717, R600a, R290 and others.

The NARECO2 Project

Atmosphere 2009 is supported by the EU-funded project NARECO2 – short for: Natural Refrigerant CO₂. The cooperation between seven project partners from the academia and industry unites expertise from different areas of using CO₂. It is the first European project to share knowledge and experience regarding CO₂ installations, and to spread the message to countries lagging behind in this rapidly growing area. Funded by the EU Leonardo Life Long Learning program it provides structured knowledge to engineers, employees, and teachers.

An e-learning module developed under the project will be presented at Atmosphere 2009, as well as the first practical guide on how to install, dimension, operate, and safely handle R744 systems. The extensive document will be distributed to all participants on Tuesday, 20 October.

What Next?

For more information, contact shecco.