The near future will bring about important changes in commercial refrigeration, namely concerning the use of industrial refrigerants, such as fluorinated gases, as the European Parliament has recently endorsed an agreement reached between the EU institutions, on the Commission’s proposal to significantly reduce emissions of F-gases.
For those involved in the commercial refrigeration industry, this has been an ongoing process. The text approved by the Parliament recently maintains the level of ambition proposed by the European Commission in 2012, which will result in a two-thirds reduction in F-gas emissions by 2030. The new Regulation introduces a phase-down measure that successively reduces the amounts of HFCs that can be sold in the EU, and bans the use of F-gases in some new equipment, such as fridges and air conditioners.
Fluorinated gases (“F-gases”) are a family of man-made gases used in a range of industrial applications. Because they do not damage the atmospheric ozone layer, they are often used as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances. However, according to industry experts, F-gases are powerful greenhouse gases, with a global warming effect up to 23 000 times greater than carbon dioxide (CO2), and their emissions are rising strongly. The European Union has therefore taken action to control F-gases, as part of its policy to combat climate change. Legislation was first passed in 2006 and this is currently being strengthened, in order to cut F-gas emissions by two-thirds by 2030. F-gases are used in several types of products and appliances, mainly as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and halons, which are being phased out under the Montreal Protocol and EU legislation.
What’s next?
Back in 2013, the European Parliament’s ENVI Committee took steps to strengthen the EU’s F-Gas Regulation to ban a source of super greenhouse gases in new equipment, from 2020. The Regulation governs the use of climate-changing fluorinated gases, including HFCs, which are used in refrigeration and air conditioning.
“This is an important result, as it comes despite a powerful HFC chemical lobby, one dominated by a handful of multinationals engaged in a relentless campaign to protect their profits at the expense of the environment and smaller European companies. The ENVI Committee looked at this in great detail, and the fact that members saw through the scaremongering and misinformation bodes well for future negotiations with European Council. HFC-free alternatives are ready, and this is an opportunity to put European businesses at the forefront of the ever-growing refrigeration and air-conditioning markets, while scoring a crucial victory for the climate,” said at the time Clare Perry, a senior campaigner at the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).
According to a press release by the agency, the recent EU Parliament action represents a compromise agreement struck in December to phase-down the use of a group of super greenhouse gases known as HFCs, or F-gases. The new F-Gas Regulation arose from the review of the 2006 version which did little to stem the growth of these chemicals. It will cap the amount of HFCs which can be placed on the European market, gradually reducing over time the amount to 21 per cent by 2030. Their use currently accounts for about two per cent of European emissions and this is growing rapidly.
Alongside the cap and phase-down, the EU has now agreed to ban the use of HFCs in new equipment, in a number of sectors, most notably in commercial refrigeration, by 2022. In addition, from 2020 very high global warming potential HFCs will no longer be used to service and maintain refrigeration equipment. Susanna Williams, climate and energy policy officer at the EEB, said: “Over 400 European companies, many of them small businesses, produce climate-friendly alternatives using natural refrigerants. Innovative businesses like these will only grow and generate jobs if Europe gives them the right market signal. “Correct implementation of this regulation will be key if we are to avoid the same problems that plagued its previous incarnation.”
The “green” 2030 EU framework
The move to lower F-gas emissions is part of the larger 2030 climate and energy goals for a competitive, secure and low-carbon EU economy, which is supported by a detailed analysis on energy prices and costs. According to a European Commission press release, the 2030 framework will ensure regulatory certainty for investors and a coordinated approach among member states, leading to the development of new technologies. The framework aims to drive continued progress towards a low-carbon economy and a competitive and secure energy system that ensures affordable energy for all consumers, increases the security of the EU’s energy supplies, reduces our dependence on energy imports and creates new opportunities for growth and jobs, by taking into account potential price impacts on the longer term.
“An ambitious 40% greenhouse reduction target for 2030 is the most cost-effective milestone in our path towards a low-carbon economy. And the renewables target of at least 27% is an important signal: to give stability to investors, boost green jobs and support our security of supply. Climate action is central for the future of our planet, while a truly European energy policy is key for our competitiveness. The law package proves that tackling the two issues simultaneously is not contradictory, but mutually reinforcing. It is in the EU’s interest to build a job-rich economy that is less dependent on imported energy through increased efficiency and greater reliance on domestically produced clean energy,” said European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.