For more than two decades, in order to fight against climate change and the potential global warming effect of refrigerants gases, countries and industries have taken strong measures to set ambitious objectives. The Montreal Protocol on substances (1985) and the Kyoto Protocol (1997) paved the way for European stronger and ambitious legislative framework for reduction of greenhouse gases and HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) emissions.
Greenhouse gases covered by the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) Kyoto Protocol include amongst others, three groups of fluorinated greenhouse gases (regularly called 'F-gases'): hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). The gases HFC and HC (hydrocarbon) are mostly used in the production of insulating foams, cooling, freezing, heat pump tumble dryers, heating and air-conditioning equipment in private households.
Household appliance manufacturers are committed to the responsible use of all substances, focusing notably on refrigerant fluids. Close attention is paid to every phase of product life, from the cradle to the grave; from manufacturing to use, disposal and reclaim of appliances and in the training of service engineers. The choice of a specific substance, as refrigerant fluid or blowing agent, results from the evaluation of several criteria: safety, first of all, as well as environmental impact, energy efficiency and recycling. The global environmental impact of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment depends on several factors:
HFCs
HFCs typically have very long lifetimes in the atmosphere and high global warming potentials (GWPs), but they are not ozone depleting. The gases CFC and HCFC, largely used in the past, both had ozone depleting potential and global warming effects.
CECED members are actively working on the development and production of environmentally improved products. The gases CFC and HCFC have been phased out from production of household appliances, as is required by Council Regulation 2037/2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer.
The environmental advantages of HCs are obvious as their global warming potential (GWP) is several hundred times lower compared to the GWP of HFCs. Therefore, household appliance manufacturers have been moving from HFCs to use HCs for refrigerators and freezers for many years already.
In addition, CECED has been proactive in initiating voluntary standards on collection, logistics & treatment requirements for end-of-life household appliances containing volatile fluorocarbons or volatile hydrocarbons, to complement the Directive 2002/96/EC on waste and electronic equipment (WEEE) and Regulation 2037/2000.
The European Union Regulation (EC) No 842/2006 on certain fluorinated greenhouse gases (the 'F-Gas Regulation') introduced a requirement for each producer, importer and exporter of more than one tonne of F-gases to report to the European Commission on the quantities produced, imported and exported in each calendar year, and provide related data such as the main intended applications of the F-gases.
A new regulation
The newly adopted European Regulation, repealing the 2006 Regulation, participates to the achievement of the objectives set up in the EU Low Carbon Roadmap and the 2050 targets, going far beyond the international commitments achieved during the 1990s.
The new regulation establishes high requirements towards manufacturers and Member States. The use of F-gases in equipment, such as refrigerators, heat pumps and air conditioners, will be gradually banned where technical alternatives are feasible. The European Commission aims in this way to both reduce HFCs emissions and trigger innovation in refrigerants and ventilation sectors.
The new rules represent a major change for manufacturers of household appliances compared to the current ones, as a cap and phase down of HFC consumption will be introduced as of 2015. The phase-down will achieve a 79% reduction by 2030, compared to the average consumption of HFCs between 2009 and 2012. To support the phase-down mechanism, the EU institutions have also agreed to introduce limits on the use of certain refrigerants in new equipment and for the service and maintenance of equipment. In addition, a new system to trace imported equipment that is filled with F-gases (so-called pre-charged equipment) will also be introduced.
CECED is positive about some key elements of the new F-gas regulation. The definition of “hermetically sealed” remains very similar as the one used in the Regulation 842/2006. Exported products and equipment containing HFCs are not in the scope of the Regulation. There is no ban on precharged products or equipment with HFCs. The allocation quotas system proposed by the European Commission is more efficient and less burdensome than the fees system proposed by the European Parliament in June 2013. Industry will have first time to comply with new requirements before complying with any pricing system. The phase-down would not deeply hamper the growth of the heat pump technology.
CECED has been actively involved in the revision of F-gas Regulation, working with EU policymakers and other affected industry stakeholders by contributing to the various stakeholder meetings, consultations, impact assessments and institutional debates. In addition, CECED also provides information and support on new rules to its members.
For further information please contact Korrina Hegarty or Emilie Stumpf.
