News Archive - November 2010
LG plans major UK expansion
30 November 2010
LG ELECTRONICS has announced its intention to significantly increase its air conditioning presence in the UK plans with five new regional offices and a 200% increase in staffing resources.
Foster wins top manufacturing award
29 November 2010
FOSTER Refrigerator, the Norfolk-based commercial refrigeration manufacturer, has been named among the country's top companies by the Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF).
Consumer Goods Forum pledges to phase out HFCs
29 November 2010
THE Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), a body comprising over 650 retailers, manufacturers, service providers and other stakeholders from 70 countries, has pledged to phase out HFCs from 2015. CGF members boast a combined turnover of $2.8 trillion and include, in the UK, retailers Alliance Boots, Booker, M&S, Tesco and Waitrose, and manufacturers GlaxoSmithKline, British American Tobacco, Innocent Drinks, Kraft Foods and Kimberley Clark.
EU set to close carbon credit loophole
26 November 2010
THE European Commission has announced plans to close the loophole in the EU's cap-and-trade system which perveresely encourages developing countries to over-produce R22 refrigerant in order to cash in on credits available for destroying the high GWP by-product HFC23.
Mexichem joins race for low GWP refrigerant blends
25 November 2010
MEXICHEM looks set to become a major rival to DuPont and Honeywell in the development of new fourth generation refrigerants. The company, which earlier this year bought the Ineos refrigerants business, has revealed plans to launch a new high efficiency, low GWP blend as a replacement for R134a in car air conditioning systems. Known as AC5, it and other low GWP blends are also being trialled for stationary systems as well as foam and aerosol applications.
Toshiba to enter data centre market
23 November 2010
TOSHIBA in Japan has announced that it is to enter the market for space-saving and environmentally conscious modular data centres. The announcement follows the completion of an experimental demonstration facility at its Fuchu Complex in western Tokyo.
Ellis Training passes its 1,000th F-gas student
23 November 2010
WITH the deadline for F-gas qualifications now just seven months away, Hertfordshire-based Ellis Training Works (ETW) has just seen its 1000th candidate successfully pass the City & Guilds 2079 F Gas qualification.
Embraco to build compressor factory in Mexico
23 November 2010
COMPRESSOR manufacturer is to build a factory in Monterrey, Mexico, to produce its high efficiency EM hermetic compressor for domestic and small commercial applications.
Fridge future in young skilled hands
18 November 2010
THE reputation of the UK refrigeration industry should be in good hands when the WorldSkills competition comes to London next year.
Adcock to open new training facility
16 November 2010
THE Adcock Group is to open a new purpose-built training centre in Kings Lynn. The well-respected Cambridge-based refrigeration and air conditioning engineering business is to invest £500,000 in the new training facility which will offer training for its own engineers to NVQ levels 2 and 3, 2079, as well as short courses in brazing, pressure testing and electrics.
HSE issues coldstore safety alert
14 November 2010
THE HSE has issued a safety alert after a coldstore ceiling gave way, causing two workers to fall to the floor. One of the men died from his injuries.
Support grows for HFC curbs
13 November 2010
SUPPORT for curbs on the production and consumption of HFCs gained momentum at this week's Montreal Protocol meeting in Bangkok. While, as expected, no decision was taken on the future of these refrigerants, 91 countries signed a declaration of support for what has popularly been dubbed a phase-down. This was a significant increase on last year's meeting when only 41 countries showed support for the idea. However, three of the most influential developing countries - China, India and Brazil - argued for further discussions of the amendments proposed by the USA, Mexico, Canada and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Carrier relinquishes control of its Korean operations
09 November 2010
CARRIER has sold a controlling equity interest in its Korean air conditioning operations, CLK, to Sinokor Pipe Co, a Korean industrial manufacturing company. CLK will continue to be Carrier's distributor in Korea.
Fridge recycler fined after worker is knocked out by nitrogen
09 November 2010
THE Health and Safety Executive has prosecuted a fridge recycling firm after nitrogen gas, used to stop explosions, made a worker pass out.
Bookings roll in for ACR Show 2012
08 November 2010
WITHIN days of the announcement of the ACR Show 2012, this exciting new event has already attracted stand bookings from a number of leading refrigeration and air conditioning equipment suppliers including leading wholesaler Thermofrost Cryo and top refrigeration service tools supplier Javac UK.
New Saudi institute backs UK training methods
05 November 2010
THE Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, one of the leading UK providers of vocational air conditioning and refrigeration training, is to work with a major new training institute in Saudi Arabia which is determined to base its courses on UK qualifications.
Canadian court fines Panasonic $1.5m for compressor price fixing
03 November 2010
PANASONIC has been fined $1.5m by the Canadian Federal Court, the same as the fine imposed on Embraco last week, for its part in conspiring to fix the price of hermetic refrigeration compressors sold to a refrigerator and freezer manufacturer in Canada.