F-gas Regulation Review 2022: all you need to know

 

The current F-gas Regulation 517/2014 intends to reduce the EU’s F-gas emissions by two-thirds by 2030 compared with 2014 levels.

On 5 April 2022, the European Commission made a legislative proposal to update Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 (the ‘F-gas Regulation’). Currently, the co-legislators in the European Parliament and the Council are negotiating the proposal. With this revision the European Commission intends to:

  • Deliver higher ambition
  • Ensure compliance with the Montreal Protocol
  • Improve enforcement and implementation
  • Achieve more comprehensive monitoring

Read more on the legislative process and the EFCTC’s position here

The F-Gas Regulation Review Works! It is well designed and successfully driving change to lower GWP solutions

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Refining the implementation
of the current regulation

EFCTC’s views on how this revision can best support the implementation and enforcement of the EU’s approach to regulate F-gases

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BY STRENGHTENING ENFORCEMENT MEASURES

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BY EXTENDING F-GAS MEASURES TO ALL REFRIGERANTS

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BY REINFORCING PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY SCHEMES

How F-Gas Review relates to Green Deal and REPowerEU

New technologies, sustainable solutions and disruptive innovation are critical to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal.

HFOs and HCFOs are used in innovative technologies that bridges the historical divide between maximizing safety (achieved through the use of non-flammable, low order of toxicity, but high GWP HFCs) and minimizing GWP (achieved through the use of low GWP, but highly flammable hydrocarbons or toxic ammonia). The available HFOs and HCFOs have varied physical properties enabling the optimum choice to be selected for a diverse range of applications, something that cannot be achieved with CO2.

Mildly flammable A2L low GWP HFCs and HFC/HFO blend refrigerants provide a good balance of safety, environmental and technical properties. Lower GWP non-flammable HFC/HFO blends allow the replacement of high GWP HFCs.

EFCTC believes that lower GWP HFCs, HFC/HFO blends and HFOs have an important role to play in the longer term to deliver safe energy efficient applications with improved containment recovery and recycle. Read More 

News & Press Releases

18 July 2023Presentation and Press Release

The review of the EU’s F-gas Regulation: a legislative timeline

The European Union adopted its first F-gas regulation in 2006, which focused primarily on the prevention of leakage of the gases in-use phase and in end-of-life of stationary equipment. The current F-...
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30 May 2022Position Paper

EFCTC POSITION PAPER: SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE AMBITION AND STRONGER ENFORCEMENT OF THE F-GAS REGULATION TO PROMOTE EUROPE’S TRANSITION TOWARDS DECARBONIZATION

The European FluoroCarbons Technical Committee (EFCTC), representing producers and suppliers of HFCs, HFOs and HCFOs, fully supports the objectives of the F-gas Regulation. Specifically, EFCTC recogni...
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01 February 2021Position Paper

EFCTC POSITION PAPER: PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE REVIEW OF THE F-GAS REGULATION

EFCTC supports the objectives and structure of the F-gas Regulation. Since 2015, the European market has demonstrated that the structure of the F-gas Regulation works in its current format, as it prov...
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Key Considerations

Good availability of HFCs for some important applications such as heat pumps

The amount of aerothermal, geothermal or hydrothermal energy captured by heat pumps is considered to be energy from renewable sources for the purposes of the renewable energy directive (RED). There is growth in heat pump installations, with extensive continuing HFC use according to BSRIA “80% of heat pumps sold in 2019 contained R-410A refrigerant with R-134a being the second most common”. It is expected that lower GWP HFCs, HFC/HFO blends and HFOs/HCFOs will be used more widely for heat pumps.
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Availability and supply of high quality HFCs and HFC blends from legitimate well-established suppliers

HFCs, HFC/HFO blends and HFOs are supplied in approved tested containers appropriate for liquified compressed gases. The system of supply enables the containers to be returned to avoid emissions and ensure containers are tested as required. Suppliers also provide containers for the recovery of refrigerants from systems for return for reclaim or destruction. This well-established system underpins the whole of the HFCs and HFOs supply and return.  Providing supply and return routes for very small importers may also be a challenge.

Evidence shows that illegal imports may be of lower quality, contaminated with substances that degrade performance or safety, or may even be completely different substances. Illegal imports are widely shipped in disposable cylinders (DACS) that do not comply with ADR requirements, are banned by the F-Gas Regulation and are disposed without recovering residual HFCS leading to higher emissions.

Recycling and Reclamation of HFCs

Recycling of HFCs occurs locally and is undertaken by service and maintenance companies and is used in systems typically on the same site. Recycling is the reuse of a recovered fluorinated greenhouse gas following a basic cleaning process; contaminants are reduced through oil separation and filtration processes. Recycled refrigerant is not as pure as reclaimed refrigerant.

Reclamation reprocesses recovered HFCs in order to match the equivalent performance of a virgin substance, taking into account its intended use. During reclamation, filtering, drying, distillation, and chemical processes strip the refrigerant of impurities.  According to the EEA 2019 F-gas Reportin 2018, reclaimed HFCs now make up 9 % of the produced amount, or 3 % of the EU supply of virgin HFCs (or 13 % and 4 %, respectively, as CO2e).

Reclaimed HFCs are being used in new equipment. Reclaimed R-410A with the same quality as virgin refrigerant is being mixed with virgin R-410A for use in VRV air-conditioning systems. With a large potential of R-410A available in existing installations, re-use contributes to creating the circular economy and this approach can be used for other refrigerants in future. The demand of reclaimed R-404A is expected to increase as it can be widely used until 2030.

Montreal Protocol HFC Phase-down

In 2018, HFC consumption was already 46 % below the first limit for the EU under the Montreal Protocol Kigali Amendment (which was to be achieved in 2019). Measuring the progress of this phase-down relies on the metric of ‘consumption’, which is similar, but not identical, to ‘placing on the market’ (POM) used for the EU HFC phase-down. [EEA 2019 F-gas report].

What the F-Gas Regulation 517/2014 has achieved?

Uptake of new solutions

Increased use of low GWPHFCs, HFOs & HCFOs in more energy efficient equipment link to Transition to lower GWP refrigerants.

Lowering average GWP

Average GWP of HFCs/HFOs placed on themarket continues to fall and reduced emissions ofHFCs

Ensuring Availability

Availability and supply of high quality HFCs, HFC blends and HFOs from legitimate well-established suppliers including for key applications such as heatpumps.

Safety

Maintain high levels of availability of HFC/HFO/HCFO refrigerants with appropriate safety benefits.

Recycling

Increased focus on recycle and reclaim of HFCs, with reclaimed HFCs being used in new equipment.

Compliance

A high level of compliance by HFC quotaholders link to EEA 2019 F-gas report.

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