Current status and future trends of natural refrigerants in South America

The food and medicine cold chain and air conditioning applications show increasing importance In South America region, related to socioeconomic development and improvement of the population's quality of life. Challenges for this sector include the replacement of refrigerants due to the Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment, and the reduction of energy consumption. Natural refrigerant-based equipment is an option for achieving sustainable refrigeration and air conditioning, which is gaining increasing use in the region. This article provides an overview of the use of hydrocarbons, CO2, and ammonia refrigerants in South America and discusses some associated aspects. It is described the status of the Kigali amendment ratification by countries, the existing legislation and standards, the service sector and the need for training and capacity building, and the challenges and barriers to the widespread use of natural refrigerants. Selected cases of natural refrigerant installations and some remarks on possible future developments are finally presented.