On July 8, 2025, the 47th Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) side event of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) was held in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting aimed to effectively address high-global-warming-potential (GWP) hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) through the Kigali Amendment, shifting to low-GWP alternatives including natural refrigerants (such as ammonia, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons) and other innovative technologies. Representatives of the Montreal Protocol OEWG, government officials, industry representatives, technology and equipment manufacturers, and refrigeration industry experts attended the meeting.
2025年7月8日，联合国工业发展组织（UNIDO）第47次不限成员名额工作组（OEWG）边会在泰国曼谷举行，会议旨在通过《基加利修正案》有效应对高全球变暖潜能值（GWP）的氢氟碳化物（氢氟烃），转向采用低GWP的替代品，包括天然制冷剂（如氨、二氧化碳和碳氢化合物）以及其他创新技术。《蒙特利尔议定书》不限成员名额工作组代表、政府官员、行业代表、技术与设备商、制冷行业专家学者等出席会议。
As a global leader in eco-friendly refrigeration technology, Midea Group was also invited to participate. An expert from the R&D system of Midea's Residential Air Conditioner Division delivered a special report titled "Promote the Development of R290 in Air Conditioning Industry," introducing Midea's experience and successful cases in promoting R290 (propane) as a natural refrigerant in the air-conditioning industry, including technical challenges, safety considerations, market acceptance, and the environmental benefits achieved.
作为环保制冷技术的全球领军企业，美的集团也受邀参会，美的家用空调事业部研发体系专家在会上发表了题为《推动R290在空调行业应用发展》（Promote the Development of R290 in Air Conditioning Industry）的专题报告，介绍美的在推动R290（丙烷）作为空调行业天然制冷剂应用方面的经验与成功案例，包括技术挑战、安全考量、市场接受度以及所实现的环境效益。
As a new type of eco-friendly refrigerant, R290 is mainly used in residential air conditioners and other small refrigeration equipment. As the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol gradually takes effect globally, the application of HFCs, currently widely used in the air-conditioning industry, will be greatly restricted. Through life-cycle carbon emission calculations and analysis of air-conditioning systems, taking a first-class room air conditioner with a rated cooling capacity of 3.5kW as an example, using R290 refrigerant reduces equivalent CO₂ emissions over the air conditioner's life cycle by 34% compared to R410A, and by 12% compared to R32 systems.
R290作为一种新型环保制冷剂，主要用于家用空调和其它小型制冷设备。随着蒙特利尔协议基加利修正案逐步在全球范围内生效，目前广泛用于空调行业的制冷剂氢氟碳化物（HFCs）的应用将受到极大限制。通过对空调系统全生命周期碳排放计算分析，以额定制冷量3.5kW能效等级一级房间空调器为例，使用R290冷媒对比使用R410A冷媒，空调全生命周期当量CO₂排放量减少34%。对比R32空调系统，CO₂排放量减少12%。
The substitution of new high-efficiency eco-friendly refrigerants brings huge challenges to the air-conditioning industry, but also represents an excellent opportunity for technological upgrading. Against the backdrop of the "Dual Carbon" strategy, the application of R290 substitution technology has become an inevitable trend. Midea is one of the earliest Chinese enterprises to carry out research on R290 refrigerant application in air conditioners. As early as 2008, Midea began to deploy R290 technology, and in 2011, with the funding of the UN Multilateral Fund and the guidance of the government and industry associations, completed the transformation of its first demonstration production line. After 15 years of continuous research, through global industry-chain collaboration, Midea has successively achieved R&D breakthroughs in core components such as R290 compressors, heat exchangers, and electronic expansion valves, as well as control technology, forming a unique R290 air-conditioner refrigeration system design, inverter electronic control, and reliable operation technical solution. At the same time, in terms of high energy efficiency, high safety, low noise, and material control, Midea has also achieved major breakthroughs, successively winning over 200 domestic and international patents.
新型高效环保制冷剂替代给空调行业带来巨大挑战，同时也是绝佳的技术升级的机会。在"双碳"战略背景下，R290替代技术应用已是大势所趋。美的是我国最早开展R290制冷剂在空调上应用研究的企业之一，早在2008年，美的便开始布局R290技术，2011年在联合国多边基金的资助下，以及政府和行业协会指导下，完成首条示范生产线的改造。经历15年的持续攻关，美的通过全球产业链通力协作，先后完成了R290压缩机、热换器和电子膨胀阀等核心部件以及控制技术的研发突破，形成了R290空调独特的制冷系统设计、变频电控和可靠运行技术方案。同时，在产品高能效、高安全、低噪音、材料控制等方面，美的也连续取得重大突破，先后斩获国内及国际专利超过200项。
Midea actively tackles difficulties and is committed to creating a new paradigm for R290 air-conditioner production and manufacturing. Faced with the absence of ready-made industry cases, Midea's air-conditioner technical team overcame challenges, combined with the introduction and application of innovative technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things, and finally formulated a feasible innovative solution: the related production process achieves overall linkage, balancing safety and efficiency. In production and manufacturing process technology, Midea continues to iterate, and its pioneering production-line design process has become a successful model of sustainable manufacturing. As of May 2025, Midea currently has 13 R290 refrigerant air-conditioner production lines, and the cumulative production and sales of R290-related products have reached nearly 10 million units. The related products mainly include dehumidifiers, split room air conditioners, portable air conditioners, and heat-pump water heaters. In 2024, Midea was recognized by Euromonitor as the world's No. 1 R290 manufacturer.
美的积极攻克难关，致力于打造R290空调相关生产制造新典范。在行业无现成案例面前，美的空调技术团队攻坚克难，结合工业物联网等创新技术的引入与应用，最终制定了切实可行的创新解决方案：相关生产工艺可以做到整体联动，安全与效率并重。在生产制造相关工艺技术上，美的空调持续进行技术迭代，首创的生产线设计工艺成为可持续制造的成功典范。截至2025年5月，美的目前拥有13条R290冷媒空调生产线，生产销售的R290相关产品已经累计到达近千万台套。相关产品主要包括除湿机、分体式房间空调器、移动式空调器和热泵热水机等产品，2024年美的被欧睿国际认定为全球R290第一生产企业。
As an important part of the air-conditioning industry's compliance with the protocol and implementation of the Dual Carbon strategy, Midea actively assumes social responsibility and continues to increase efforts in the application and promotion of new eco-friendly refrigerants, promoting the industry's green transformation and upgrading. In 2023, Midea released the industry's first "White Paper on the Development of Green and Low-Carbon Air Conditioning Industry," which systematically organizes and summarizes R290 application-related technologies and experience. Midea is willing to share relevant experience and work with the industry to promote the global adoption of R290 refrigerant technology.
作为国内空调行业履约及践行双碳战略的重要一环，美的积极承担社会责任，在新环保冷媒应用和推广方面持续加大力度，推动行业绿色转型升级。2023年美的发布行业首个《绿色低碳空调行业发展白皮书》，该白皮书系统性地整理并总结了R290应用的相关技术和经验，美的愿共享相关经验，携手行业推动R290冷媒技术在全球的推广。
In the future, Midea will continue to actively carry out international exchanges and cooperation, strengthen R&D investment, develop advanced technologies, and cultivate a high-level professional talent team; further improve product performance, further enhance the competitiveness of China's air-conditioning industry in the global market, further actively participate in global climate-change governance, and make greater contributions to environmental protection worldwide.
未来，美的将继续积极开展国际交流与合作，加强研发投入，研发先进技术，培养高水平的专业人才队伍；进一步提升产品性能，进一步提升我国空调产业在全球市场的竞争力，进一步积极参与应对气候变化全球治理，在全球范围内为环境保护作出更大贡献。
(Using AI translation)
（使用AI翻译）
