15/02/2022

Beijing Winter Olympics just got cooler

In efforts of hosting a sustainable 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, China has utilised natural and low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants in the ice making process for their rinks.

Of the nine ice rink venues, five are using CO2 refrigeration systems and four are using R449A.

When organisers first began to devise their ice-making plan, they considered using the refrigerant R50. After researching global development trends and having discussions with global refrigeration and air conditioning experts, the organisers decided to implement the use of more sustainable alternatives.

According to Song Jiafeng, an engineer with the oval’s construction team, using CO2 as a refrigerant can increase ice-making efficiency by 30% and save around two million kilowatts of electricity per year.