28 June 2021
|
GEA Refrigeration Technologies has joined the Cool Coalition led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The initiative aims to drive the use of efficient, climate-friendly cooling in urban environments, buildings and industrial processes worldwide.
In its new climate strategy, GEA recently announced it would give priority to driving sustainable innovation in technologies that remain energy-intensive, such as refrigeration technology. By joining the Cool Coalition, GEA says it is underlining its commitment to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions along its entire value chain to net zero by 2040.
CEO Kai Becker said: “There is an urgent need for our industry and those it serves to become more energy-efficient to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By joining the Cool Coalition, we aim to share our expertise and add impetus by facilitating the transition toward climate-friendly cooling and heating solutions. The Cool Coalition is a fantastic opportunity for us to take on even greater responsibility in tackling this challenge and we are proud to be able to do our part.”
Lily Riahi, Cool Coalition co-ordinator at UNEP, said: “Today more than ever we need sustainable cooling solutions to tackle the climate crisis and achieve the sustainable development goals. We ought to raise the net-zero ambition for cooling to new highs with commitments from industry leaders. We are delighted to see GEA Refrigeration Technologies joining the Cool Coalition efforts and looking forward to GEA’s contribution in finding ways to decarbonize the cooling sector comprehensively by 2050.”
The GEA Sustainable Energy Solutions (SEnS) programme has combined plant process technology and utilities solutions since 2018.
GEA Refrigeration Technologies chief service officer Ulrich Walk said: “At GEA, we look at the big picture. That means analysing the customer’s exact energy requirements, before going on to optimize processes while taking utilities into account. By integrating heat pump technology with production processes, we create an energy loop so nothing is wasted. We are reducing the energy need, reusing the available energy and upcycling the waste heat.''
