EGAT supports use of "green" refrigerators

BANGKOK, February 20 (TNA) - The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has agreed to join forces with four financial institutes and other relevant agencies to promote more use of refrigerators with the No.5 label, symbolizing their "green" refrigerant to save energy and ease the problem of global warming or climate change through their reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. EGAT Deputy Governor for Corporate Social Affairs Seubphong Buranasirin presided over a ceremony, held in Bangkok on Tuesday, to sign the agreement on the cooperation with the four financial institutes, including Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank (KBank), Siam Commercial Bank and Krung Thai Card Public Co., Ltd. The agreement is also supported by other leading agencies in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning and the National Appropriate Mitigation Action (RAC NAMA) sectors, including the Germany-based Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning under the Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency under the Thai Ministry of Energy and manufacturers of energy saving-refrigerators and accessories. Under the agreement, EGAT will support promotional activities and campaigns on more sale and use of refrigerators with R600a, an environmentally-friendly refrigerant, through 10-month zero per cent-leasing programs offered to consumers by the four financial institutes. EGAT expected that the agreed cooperation should increase the sale of the "green" refrigerators by 300,000 units, saving Thailand's power consumption by about 47 million units annually, or 188 million baht yearly, and cutting GHG emissions by about 25,000 tons a year. The promotional activities and campaigns will be launched from March to May 2018, during which participating shops and boothes, including those opened in retail stores nationwide, will put the "Green Refrigerant" in their products. According to the EGAT deputy governor, similar activities and campaigns will be later launched for other kinds of "green" refrigerants in the future. (TNA)