Highlights – Key achievements and notable developments from the project

• Implementation and Commissioning: Successfully established five INDEE+ demonstration sites across multiple sectors and installed three educational units for research and training.
• Strategic Reporting: Developed comprehensive reports for India’s End-of-Life Refrigerant Management Plan and proposed an R&D roadmap for India’s future cooling technology needs.
• Knowledge Transfer & Skill Development: Delivered training and capacity-building programs for vendors, end-users, and students in India, strengthening expertise in sustainable cooling solutions, with more than 25 events.
• Research Advancements: Conducted experimental studies on the performance of natural refrigerant heat pump systems and refrigeration systems under high ambient temperatures, leading to peer-reviewed research publications (13 journal papers and 22 conference papers).

Summary of Activities

1.    Implementation and commissioning of INDEE+ demonstration sites across three key application areas:

• Building Sector – Installation of a CO₂ heat pump chiller for a hotel in Goa.
• Food Processing Sector – Deployment of CO₂ heat pump chillers at Akshaya Patra, Bengaluru, and Mondelēz International near Chennai.
• Maritime Sector – Commissioning of a CO₂–NH₃ cascade system at Bellfoods Pvt. Ltd. and NAS Fisheries in Kerala, along with an onboard Ice Make prototype.

2.    Fabrication of three transcritical CO₂ systems (INDEE+ educational units) were established for educational and research purposes at the laboratories of IISc, CIFT and BITS.

3.    Prepared five comprehensive reports for India’s End-of-Life Refrigerant Management Plan, outlining a targeted strategy to regulate the recovery, reuse, recycling, and safe disposal of refrigerants across the country.

4.    Developed three reports recommending an R&D plan for India’s future cooling technology needs, detailing the necessity and roadmap for transitioning to natural refrigerants.

5.    Organized and participated in over 15 R&D and educational initiatives, including training sessions and consortium meetings. Key engagements included COP 2022, COP 2023, MOP 2024, REFCOLD India, ACREX India, India International Seafood Show (IISS)
and IIR conferences. 

6.    Training Activities

• Contributed to human resource development with 4 PhDs completed during the project period.
• Facilitated skill development for 4 postdoctoral fellows in sustainable technologies.
• Supported India–Norway student exchange programs and organized international technical tours to enhance global exposure and collaboration

Project impact

The vendors collaborating with the INDEE+ team are now experiencing a surge in orders to manufacture systems using natural refrigerants. Several of these systems have already been commissioned, with more systems currently in the pipeline. Consequently, the project has surpassed its original target of expanding CO₂ refrigeration facilities in India, contributing to a greater-than-anticipated reduction in the country’s future GHG emission intensity—clearly demonstrating the project’s success.

Recommendations for Industry

• Create a Strong Business Case for Natural Refrigerants
• Showcase the environmental benefits—such as the reduced or eliminated Global Warming Potential (GWP), the impact of HFOs on TFA formation in the atmosphere, and the upcoming PFAS ban in Europe—alongside the financial viability of natural refrigerant systems.
• Provide real-world performance data and Return-on-Investment (ROI) assessments as key tools to accelerate adoption.
• Use case studies, lifecycle cost analyses, and energy savings data to build investor- and customer confidence.
• Develop a Certification Process for CO₂ Systems
• Establish an India-specific certification framework for CO₂ systems and submit it to policymakers for approval.
• Ensure Spare Parts Availability and System Reliability
• Address supply chain challenges by promoting local manufacturing and stockpiling of critical spare parts.
• Encourage partnerships with large retailers for bulk procurement to ensure reliable inventory within India.
• Prioritize training of service technicians to enhance system reliability and long-term maintenance.
• Support Educational Participation and Awareness
• Organize workshops, community campaigns, and vendor–user training programs to raise awareness about phasing down HFC and HFO refrigerants and adopting eco-friendly alternatives as the sustainable solutions across the entire cooling (AC) and refrigeration sector.
• Foster a culture of sustainability by involving students, and local communities in awareness-building initiatives.

Recommendations for Policy Makers

• Government Subsidies and Funding: Introduce targeted subsidies and financial support mechanisms to enable wider adoption of sustainable cooling technologies when applying natural working fluids. Tax free import of key system components, dedicated for natural working fluids only, prior local manufacturing of them, would boost the market awareness and support the local vendors when introducing the clean technologies. 
• Project Proposals through DST: Encourage the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to initiate international collaborative projects with additional funding for technical tasks, such as component development, system controls and system integration.
• Awareness Initiatives: Launch nationwide campaigns to raise awareness about the phasedown of HFC and HFO refrigerants, emphasizing the benefits of natural refrigerants.
• Educational Integration: Incorporate natural refrigeration technologies and sustainable cooling practices into the curriculum of engineering programs to prepare the next generation of engineers and build long-term capacity.

Recommendations for Society

• Promote Responsible Refrigerant Practices: Encourage households, businesses, and communities to adopt responsible practices for refrigerant recovery, reuse, recycling, and safe disposal to reduce environmental harm.
• Adopt Sustainable Cooling Solutions: Raise awareness about the environmental, health, and economical benefits of transitioning to natural refrigerants and energy-efficient cooling technologies.
• Community Engagement & Awareness: Foster community-level programs, workshops, and campaigns to educate citizens on the importance of phasing down high-GWP refrigerants (HFCs and HFOs) and supporting clean and eco-friendly alternatives with natural working fluids.
• Educational Participation: Support integration of sustainable refrigeration and cooling concepts into local schools, colleges, and vocational training programs, ensuring that young people gain knowledge and skills for a greener and cleaner future. 
• Support Local Innovation: Encourage collaboration with local vendors, startups, and MSMEs to develop affordable and accessible natural refrigerant technologies tailored to Indian conditions, thereby avoiding a pile up of harmful refrigerants across the country, to be treated as chemical waste after end of life for the cooling equipment.
• Behavioral Change for Energy Efficiency: Promote lifestyle and operational changes—such as maintaining equipment efficiently, reducing wastage, and using cooling technologies responsibly—to minimize energy use and emissions.
• Global Collaboration through Communities: Participate in exchange programs, technical tours, and knowledge-sharing initiatives to bring global best practices to local communities and thereby trigger innovation.

Future Research Opportunities

• Advancements in Heat Pump Technology: Future research should focus on high-temperature heat pump systems using hydrocarbons such as isobutane and propane for pressurized hot water and steam production. Integrating cold chain and heating applications can significantly enhance energy efficiency of process plants, directly supporting India’s competitiveness, sustainability and net-zero commitments.
• Low-Charge Hydrocarbon Systems: Development of low-charge hydrocarbon vapour compression systems for cooling and heating. Particularly for data centres, food processing and related industries, presents a critical pathway to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing safety risks through robust design standards, advanced leak detection, and training programs will be essential for large-scale deployment.
• Simultaneous Heating and Cooling Applications: Future research should explore CO₂-based refrigeration systems capable of delivering simultaneous heating and cooling through advanced gas cooler and heat recovery configurations. Such systems can efficiently utilize waste heat from the refrigeration cycle for space or process heating, achieving substantial energy savings and emission reductions. Developing optimized control strategies, thermal storage integration, and application-specific designs for sectors such as dairies, food processing, and hospitality will unlock new opportunities for high-efficiency, low-carbon thermal energy systems aligned with India’s clean energy transition.

Publications 

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