Refrigerants

F-Gases

Fluorinated gases are chemicals used as so-called refrigerants in air conditioners or heat pumps (known as f-gases). They replaced the so-called freons withdrawn from use in the 1990s, which are substances that destroy the ozone layer. The disadvantage of f-gases, on the other hand, is their impact on the greenhouse effect, which is why they are being systematically phased out in appliances according to a schedule adopted by the European Commission. In the case of refrigerators, for example, these substances have not been used since 2015 – they have been replaced by so-called natural agents, i.e. hydrocarbons. The impact of the latter on the greenhouse effect is negligible (Green Warming Potential, GWP < 5). Due to their flammability, these compounds are not used in large appliances like air conditioners or heat pumps for safety reasons.

The first EU document on fluorinated gases was Regulation (EC) No 842/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, focusing on reducing emissions mainly by preventing leakage in systems and on the responsible recovery and destruction of gases at the end of their life. This piece of legislation was abolished in 2014 by Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The document, which is still in force today, introduced far-reaching changes, such as:

• limiting the total amount of major F-gases (HFCs) that can be sold in the EU starting in 2015, and gradually reducing them to 1/5 of 2014 sales in 2030;
• banning the use of F-gases in many new types of equipment for which less harmful alternatives are widely available;
• preventing F-gas emissions from existing appliances by requiring inspections, proper servicing and gas recovery at the end of an appliance’s life.

On April 5, 2022, the European Commission presented a legislative proposal to update the above regulation. Preliminary agreement on this issue was reached in late 2023. Among the planned changes are:

• reducing the amount of HFCs placed on the market by 98% by 2050 (compared to 2015);
• improved enforcement and implementation, such as by making it easier for customs and regulators to control imports and exports. A quota price would be introduced, and penalties would become stricter and more uniform across the EU.