Natural refrigerants and fluorinated gases
Aiming to gradually limit the sale of F-gases in the EU, the regulation prohibits refrigerants with high environmental impact in new installations and servicing. The last updated F-Gas Regulation EU 2024/573 entered into force on March 11, 2024. We are happy to help you move to more sustainable refrigerants.
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Different types of refrigerant
Natural refrigerants
Natural refrigerants include carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia (NH3) and various types of hydrocarbons (HC) such as propane and propylene. They generally have a very low impact on the greenhouse effect, measured by the Global Warming Potential (GWP) value.
Examples of different GWP values:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) GWP = 1
- Ammonia (NH3) GWP = 0
- Propane (HC) GWP = 3
They also have no impact on the ozone layer, the impact is communicated as the Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) value.
These refrigerants are characterized by different properties:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) - High working pressures
- Ammonia (NH3) - Toxic
- Propane (HC) - Flammable
As with any substance, different properties are managed based on for example material selection, maintenance and various safety features.
The use of natural refrigerants is nothing new and they have been used long before synthetically manufactured refrigerants took a large part of the market. Natural refrigerants also have some purely technical advantages, such as energy efficiency, the possibility of customised system design of a unit, and so on.
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Synthetic refrigerants
This group of refrigerants has both: impact on the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect to varying degrees. This group can be divided into two different subgroups:
- Ozone-impacting refrigerants
- Greenhouse effect refrigerants
Each group can itself be divided again into subgroups, depending on the chemical composition of fluorine, carbon and hydrogen. There are a large number of different refrigerants on the market.
Today, ozone-impacting refrigerants are not commonly used in refrigeration and heat pump equipment. This type of refrigerants began to be phased out already in the late 1980s and was largely replaced by gases that affect the greenhouse effect, what we now colloquially refer to as F-gases. One of the most common F-gases are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
The early refrigerants in the greenhouse effect group are characterized by a very high impact on the greenhouse effect. A large number of commonly used refrigerants have a GWP value between 1400-4000.
The newer synthetic refrigerants, produced as replacements, now tend to have slightly different properties, such as being slightly more flammable. These refrigerants have lower GWP values but not as low as natural refrigerants in general.
These refrigerants also have other impacts on our environment in addition to the greenhouse effect. When released into the atmosphere, some of them can form other chemical substances that are highly acidifying or even carcinogenic; trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) & per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS). These substances are regulated under the REACH Regulation.
Learn about the REACH Regulation
F-Gases and F-Gas Regulation
Almost all F-gases have a greater impact on the greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide and therefore the EU is regulating them. The F-Gas Regulation is an EU regulatory framework for the production, sale, installation and use of fluorinated refrigerants.
F-gas is a chemically produced gas containing, among other things, fluorine, which has the symbol F, hence the name, F-gas. One of the most common F-gases are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
Today, several different refrigerants that are so-called F-gases are used in, for example, heat pumps and cooling machines. When these F-gases are released, or leaked, into the atmosphere, they contribute to the greenhouse effect in a similar way to carbon dioxide emissions. Some of these gases also have other impacts on our climate and environment.
Almost all F-gases have a greater impact on the greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide. For example, an emission of one kilogram of the refrigerant R404A has the same impact on the greenhouse effect as an emission of 3,922 kilograms of carbon dioxide. In order to reduce emissions of F-gases, and thus reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases, the European Commission has decided to introduce the F-Gas Regulation.
Updated F-Gas Regulation
As fluorinating gases, F-gases, are potent greenhouse gases, greenhouse gas emissions from F-gases have been regulated in the European Union (EU) since 2006. Together with carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, F-gases are covered by the Paris Agreement on climate change. Thus, they are also covered by the EU's climate contribution to the Paris Agreement and by the EU Climate Law with its climate emission targets.
Aiming to gradually limit the sale of F-gases in the EU, the regulation prohibits refrigerants with high environmental impact in new installations and servicing. The last updated F-Gas Regulation EU 2024/573 entered into force on March 11, 2024.
The new regulation strengthens a number of requirements and introduces several prohibitions, including a significant reduction in the so-called quotas. This refers to fixed quotas of the amount of fluorinated gases (measured in million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) that can be sold and placed on the market until 2050.
Read more about the F-Gas Regulation on the European Commission site Updated Regulation on EUR-Lex
About the REACH Regulation
In addition to the F-Gas Regulation, there is other legislation that will affect, restrict and ban P-phase substances in parallel and one of these is the REACH Regulation which is an EU-level regulation. The REACH contains rules on registration of substances, bans or other restrictions and authorization requirements. The basis of REACH is that the manufacturer of a substance must investigate and register it, otherwise it cannot be sold. The regulation was developed to protect human health and the environment from the risks posed by chemicals. REACH affects many companies operating in the EU, as it applies to all chemical substances that are around us in our daily lives, from industrial processes to cleaning products, clothes, toys or electronic products.
Read more on the European Commission site
About trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)
When the HFO (hydrofluoroolefin) refrigerant breaks down, the synthetic substance, TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) is formed. During degradation, there is potential for TFA to be released into the environment. TFA does not degrade, and its molecules remain in nature for a very long time. The impact of TFA on humans, animals and environment is being researched. There is no historical knowledge of TFA as it does not occur naturally.
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