World Refrigeration Day (WRD) 2024 is June 26, and this year’s celebration is broadening its focus to include heat pumps to emphasize the importance of sustainable heating, according to a statement from the WRD Secretariat.
Under the theme of “Temperature Matters,” this year’s event will incorporate World Heat Pumps Day for the first time and explore the significant impacts of refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump (RACHP) technologies around the world, the Secretariat explained.
“While the importance of maintaining cold temperatures for critical food and medicine supply chains remains undeniable, the campaign will also highlight the industry’s role in effective and sustainable heating, as well as creating healthier, comfortable environments with cleaner air supplies,” it added.
Celebrations will showcase global initiatives and projects to educate the public about the importance of effective temperature control, how it affects our daily lives and its role in supporting sustainable development.
“The importance of temperature connects us all, no matter where we live,” said Stephen Gill, industry veteran and Founder of World Refrigeration Day. “Temperature control is essential for more than just our comfort and health in homes and workplaces. It’s crucial for preserving food and medicines, and it plays a vital role in many industrial processes at both high and extremely low temperatures. Temperature can mean the difference between life and death.”
By focusing on temperature regulation, the WRD 2024 campaign is designed to be universally relevant and to allow regions and industries to adjust messaging to suit different interests and audiences.
“While heat pumps may not be so prevalent in tropical climates, the same principles of temperature control remain crucial for comfort and health,” added Gill. “WRD 2024 aims to foster global recognition and discussion about the sector’s wide-ranging impact.”
“While heat pumps may not be so prevalent in tropical climates, the same principles of temperature control remain crucial for comfort and health. WRD 2024 aims to foster global recognition and discussion about the sector’s wide-ranging impact.”
Stephen Gill, World Refrigeration Day
Now in its sixth year, WRD 2024 coincides with the 200th anniversary of the birth of Lord Kelvin, a pioneering figure in thermodynamics.
“Kelvin’s work in defining the absolute temperature scale has profound implications for modern thermal energy management, influencing both cooling and heating technologies,” said the WRD Secretariat.
Each year, WRD celebrates the people and technologies responsible for creating and maintaining temperature-controlled environments. The campaign also promotes career opportunities in the sector, encouraging educational institutions and students to explore roles within the industry.
Last year’s event was themed around “Next Generation Cooling” and highlighted evolving refrigeration solutions.
Industry support
WRD 2024 has garnered support from a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, scientific and engineering associations, professional groups and more than 140 industry sponsors.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has announced its support of this year’s event and theme.
“This year’s World Refrigeration Day theme emphasizes the crucial importance of efficient temperature control for sustainable development and human comfort,” said Ginger Scoggins, ASHRAE’s President. “ASHRAE acknowledges the vital role of heat pump technologies in global low-carbon heating strategies, endorsing their advancement and implementation to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and enhance energy efficiency in the built environment.”
Several top international chefs have also backed WRD via the Cooling Keeps Food Fresh campaign, which was originally launched in 2022 and focuses on refrigeration’s role in reducing food waste and promoting climate action.
To celebrate WRD 2024 in Australia, national food retailer Woolworths is opening up some of its supermarket plant rooms to the public to “showcase the latest technology in commercial refrigeration.”
Throughout the day, selected Woolworths stores in Adelaide, Bendigo, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney will host one-hour tours of their natural refrigerant-based plant rooms. Interested parties must register to attend. The chain hosted a similar event for WRD 2023 and WRD 2019. Woolworths did not hold store tours from 2020 to 2022 due to COVID-related restrictions.
In addition to learning more about refrigeration technologies and meeting industry professionals, the tours are designed to promote the refrigeration trade among younger generations.
In April, Woolworths opened its 100th transcritical CO2 (R744) supermarket. This achievement came just seven years after the chain opened its first transcritical CO₂ store.
