The new regulations on environmentally friendly refrigerants have been implemented, and the cold foam refrigeration industry is accelerating the iteration of low-carbon refrigeration technology

The global implementation process of the Kigali Amendment continues to advance, and the EU F-Gas regulations and domestic refrigeration equipment energy efficiency dual control policies will be fully tightened in 2026. A phased phase out plan will be introduced for high global warming potential hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, directly forcing the entire industry chain of ice bath refrigeration units to embark on low-carbon technology innovation. A wave of industrial upgrading centered on environmental protection and low energy consumption is being fully launched. The new regulations specify that by 2030, the global use of high GWP refrigerants in refrigeration equipment will be reduced by 80%, and developed countries will achieve an 85% reduction target by 2036. The high polluting refrigerants commonly used in traditional refrigeration foam machines will gradually be prohibited from circulation and production. Industry enterprises must complete the bottom layer transformation of refrigeration systems and heat exchange structures, otherwise their products will not be able to enter mainstream overseas markets in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, and domestic sales will also face constraints such as energy efficiency labeling removal and access restrictions.
The current mainstream transformation path in the industry can be divided into two directions. One is the optimization of low GWP natural refrigerant compression refrigeration systems. The R&D team re matches the diameter of the heat exchanger and the operating curve of the compressor, replacing traditional high polluting refrigerants while ensuring a cooling efficiency of 6-7 ℃ per hour for a one horsepower model. The greenhouse effect emissions of the entire machine are reduced by more than 90%; The second is the landing test of cutting-edge solid-state refrigeration technology. Non refrigerant solutions such as shape memory alloy elastic thermal refrigeration, magnetic thermal refrigeration, and thermoacoustic refrigeration have entered the pilot stage, completely avoiding the risk of chemical refrigerant leakage and pollution. The operating noise is lower, and the theoretical energy efficiency ratio has increased by 48%. However, currently limited by material production costs, they can only be applied to high-end flagship models, and it still takes 2-3 years for the industrial chain to break in before large-scale civilian popularization.
In addition to refrigerant innovation, the energy-saving structure of the whole machine has been comprehensively upgraded synchronously. The new generation of cold foam refrigeration machine is equipped with a phase change energy storage tank and a double-layer vacuum insulation water circuit, which reduces the frequent start stop loss of the compressor and reduces the overall energy consumption by 32% under the same water environment; The circulating water pump adopts a variable frequency silent module, and the idle power consumption is controlled within 5W, which meets the energy consumption standards of green household appliances. Experimental data from multiple industry laboratories shows that equipment using a new low-carbon refrigeration solution can operate continuously for 72 hours with stable temperature control. The fluctuation of water temperature in outdoor environments with extreme high temperatures of 40 ℃ does not exceed ± 1 ℃, and its performance has not deteriorated due to environmental protection renovations.
The industry association has taken the lead in formulating low-carbon production standards for cold foam refrigeration equipment, unifying environmental protection refrigerant pipeline sealing, waste recycling, and whole machine energy consumption testing standards. At the same time, it has organized upstream and downstream compressor, sheet metal, and electronic temperature control manufacturers to collaborate on research and development, share the cost of new material mold opening, and accelerate the mass production of affordable low-carbon models. Industry experts say that short-term environmental upgrades will slightly increase equipment production costs, but in the long run, it will build industry technological barriers. Manufacturing entities with mature low-carbon refrigeration solutions will seize overseas green procurement orders, and small and medium-sized manufacturers who cannot complete technological iterations will gradually exit the market. Industry concentration will continue to increase, and green and low-carbon will become the core entry threshold for future cold foam refrigeration products.