ACR Journal

December 2020 | January 2021 REFRIGERANTS 30 Volume 7 No.1 Looking ahead to 2021 it will be another year of great change for the cooling industry. Already planned is a cut in the F-Gas quota of 29% for virgin HFC refrigerants. On the face of it this alone would be a significant challenge for our industry in normal times. But when you also factor in our departure from the European Union and the demands forced upon us by the Covid-19 pandemic, there’s more than enough issues for our industry to cope with next year. F-Gas phase down The ban introduced in 2020 on the use of HFCs with a GWP of more than 2500 in new systems – except below -50°C in stationary systems – is something our industry has adapted well to. The ban on servicing existing equipment with virgin HFCs with a GWP of more than 2500, where the charge is greater than 40 tonnes of CO 2 , is also something we are well equipped to handle. Rising to the challenges of a new year A-Gas Managing Director John Ormerod explains how the cooling industry can continue to handle the Covid-19 pandemic, the F-Gas step downs and the effects of Brexit in the months ahead. Next year’s reduction of 29% (on a CO 2 equivalent basis) in virgin quota will take the industry down to 45 per cent of the 2015 baseline level. This will without doubt lead to a significant reduction in the supply of HFC refrigerants. The F-Gas step downs have at times led to price rises and shortages and it is likely we’ll see these again next year. On the whole the industry is learning to cope with the long-term e”ects of these changes and this is evident in the sales of low GWP replacements. Refrigerant recovery and reclamation have a big role to play as we look at ways to meet the continued challenges o”ered by the F-Gas step downs. Industry experts know that refrigerants saved from disposal and returned to use as reclaimed gas can make a direct contribution to the reduction in use of virgin refrigerants and help the industry remain within the limits imposed by the quota system. Reclaimed refrigerant sent to A-Gas reprocessing centres undergoes chemical analysis, is cleaned of contaminants and goes through our separation plant to produce a product that matches that of virgin refrigerant requirements. Using reclaimed refrigerant is a direct way of lowering the carbon footprint of your customers. You will be saving on the use of raw materials, energy consumption and unnecessary transport normally associated with virgin production. In today’s modern society, end users and customers are beginning to demand that 2021 will see a 29% cut in the F-Gas quota for virgin HFC refrigerants Refrigerants A-Gas.indd 30 03/12/2020 11:57