eurammon annual members' meeting 2026

On 25 and 26 June 2026, eurammon members met in Tienen and Heverlee, Belgium for the association's annual members' meeting. The two-day programme combined a technical visit of Tiense Suiker in Tienen, a strategic review of 2025 and planning for 2026, and the kick-off of eurammon's 30-year anniversary celebrations.

The meeting opened at the Tiense Suiker sugar factory, a Südzucker subsidiary, where members received a detailed presentation and site tour of the sugar factory and GEA's new high-temperature heat pump installation using pentane as a natural refrigerant. eurammon thanks Sebastian Schultze (GEA) and Bart Aerts (Tiense Suiker) for the insightful presentation and tour.

On the second day, members reflected on eurammon activities and achievements in 2025 and discussed strategic priorities for the year ahead, with a particular focus on partnerships and external representation.

The meeting also marked the kick-off of eurammon's 30-year anniversary. Founded in 1996 by 18 members, eurammon was created at a pivotal moment for the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry. The Montreal Protocol (1987) had mandated the phase-out of CFCs, and HCFC regulations were tightening. Ammonia, with over a century of proven use in industrial refrigeration, was a clear technical answer, but public perception remained a significant barrier. eurammon was founded to change that perception through evidence-based advocacy for natural refrigerants.

What began as a technical forum for ammonia specialists has grown into a leading advocacy network for natural refrigerants, shaped by three decades of regulatory pressure, climate urgency, and a growing industry consensus that refrigerants with high global warming potential have no long-term future.

Several activities to mark 30 years of eurammon will take place at the eurammon booth at Chillventa 2026 in Nuremberg. We look forward to welcoming members, partners and friends of natural refrigerants there.