After this date, the European Union will not permit ships’ crews to maintain, service or top up any refrigeration systems containing R-22 or other ozone depleting HCFC refrigerants using virgin refrigerant. The directive applies to all EU flagged vessels.
If the systems are not interfered with in any way, these ozone depletants may be retained. However, planned routine maintenance on various system components like compressors, condensers, driers etc is the key to enabling a system to operate efficiently without the risk of costly breakdowns.
As a result it is important to find a solution that minimises any disruption to your vessel’s operations by avoiding the need for costly modifications. Wilhelmsen Ships Service recommends replacing the R-22 with a suitable non-ozone depleting alternative such as Unicool R-417A. This is an ideal replacement as R-417A has very similar working parameters in marine applications to R-22. Wilhelmsen Ships Service stocks Unicool R-417A throughout its global network to support customers’ vessels in operation after the retrofit.
There are other replacement alternatives for R-22 , but many of these alternatives will normally require more costly modifications, have limited thermal properties and are not globally available. In order to provide a range of alternatives to their customers Wilhelmsen Ships Service ensures global availability of R-417A, R-407C, R-404A and R-134a.
Recognising the limitations of the vessel's crew in handling such an important project, Wilhelmsen Ships Service offers qualified and highly skilled refrigeration technicians to handle these retrofits. The company’s world-wide network has successfully performed more than 1,300 such changeovers in recent years, both during dry-dockings and on vessels whilst they were in service. By sailing between ports and completing the project at sea, there are no interruptions to the day-to-day functioning of the refrigeration systems, or delays for the ship. Wilhelmsen Ships Service ensures safe and legal destruction of the old R-22 as part of their Enviro-Return Management Programme.
On average, each project takes between 5 to 15 days. Ship owners are advised to plan their changeovers in good time to meet the deadline of 31 December 2009.
Further information from:
Svenn Jacobsen, International Service Manager - Refrigeration, Wilhelmsen Ships Service
Telephone: +47 6758 6914 (office) +47 9066 9702 (mobile) Svenn.Jacobsen@wilhelmsen.com
Solveig Saether, Market Communication Manager, Wilhelmsen Ships Service, Telephone +47 67 58 45 78 (office), +47 90 63 49 77 (mobile) solveig.d.saether@wilhelmsen.com