TREND IN USAGE OF CFC'S IN SRI LANKA AND PHASE OUT UNDER MONTREAL PROTOCOL

Abstract

With the development of halogenated hydrocarbons by E.I.Du Pont deNemours & Co (USA) as refrigerants, there had been an increase in usage ofthese chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) in refrigeration applications worldwidesince 1950, mainly because these substances have excellent thermodynamicand safety characteristics. In Sri Lanka the consumption of CFC wasincreased rapidly up to 1995 (Table 1). Scientists had discovered the effectsof CFCs on the earth's ozone layer in nineteen seventies and it was agreed bylarge number of countries to phase out the production and usage of CFCs bybecoming party to the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol on OzoneDepleting Substances (ODS) was signed in 1987 to implement the phase outprogramme. Sri Lanka became a party to this Protocol in 1989 and is boundto implement phase out ODSs by dates. specified by the Protocol. In order toreach that target, National Ozone Unit (NOU) was established in the Ministryof Environment and Natural Resources in 1994. NOU has implementedseveral projects in order to reduce consumption of CFC with the assistance ofMultilateral Fund (MLF) of the Protocol.

Sri Lanka has introduced a licensing system in 1998 to control the imports ofCFCs and so far achieved successful reduction of CFC consumption. Thetable 1 shows the downward trend of CFC consumption as a result of actiontaken by the NOU. As an Article 5 country under the Montreal Protocol SriLanka need to phase out CFC consumption by 2010. However, Sri Lanka hastaken steps to phase out CFC by the end of 2007.

To achieve phase out as planned, three refrigerator manufacturers werefunded to con vert from CFC -11 to HCFC -141 b and from CFC 12 to R 134a,converted an aerosol manufacturing plant from CFC 12 to Hydrocarbons andlaunched a scheme to pay incentives for converting CFC refrigeration plants to non-Cf'Cs. In addition the NOU has taken steps in awareness creation,training of refrigeration technicians and recovery and recycling of CFC. As aresult, consumption of CFC in the manufacturing sector has been phased outand remaining consumption in the servicing sector could be eliminatedthrough projects already planned.

Apart from ozone layer depletion, CFCs are powerful greenhouse gases muchstronger than C02. Therefore it is important to reduce emission of CFC notonly to save the ozone layer but also to prevent global warming and climatechange.