Nov 15, 2022
New Research Center “Chugai Life Science Park Yokohama” adopting Natural Refrigerant Air Conditioning System in the Welfare Bldg. (Medium-Term Environmental Target: Reduce fluorocarbons usage by 100% by 2030)
In order to contribute to the realization of a sustainable global environment, Chugai Group has established medium-term environmental targets with a final year of 2030, and continues to promote environmental conservation activities.
And, as one of Priority Items, we have selected measures to combat climate change, which is one of the most important issues in the world, and have set a target of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, a greenhouse gas, by 60 ~ 75%.
Also, we are working to curb emissions of fluorocarbons, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)* 1, which have a large greenhouse effect, and are shifting to natural refrigerants * 2, which have a small greenhouse effect, with the goal of a 100% reduction by 2030.
At the Welfare Bldg. (nursery school) of “Chugai Life Science Park Yokohama”, a new research center completed in October 2022 (scheduled to start operation in April 2023), Chugai Group has for the first time adopted a system that uses a natural refrigerant, CO2 refrigerant, for habitable room air conditioning.
After many discussions with air-conditioning equipment company, we introduced the system. Cold/hot water produced by freezers for refrigerated warehouses and water heaters for water heating is sent to the building for air conditioning.
The freezer and refrigerator used in the kitchen of this building will also use a natural refrigerant models, and amount of fluorocarbons used in the entire building will be zero.
We will continue our efforts to combat climate change by replacing all of our business bases equipment, including our domestic and overseas affiliates, with equipment that uses natural refrigerants, and by actively developing technologies with building companies and equipment manufacturers to promote the switch to natural refrigerants that have less greenhouse effect.
*1 Freon which developed to replace chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) targeted for reduction under the Montreal Protocol as ozone-depleting substances
*2. Refrigerants using substances that originally existed in nature