What are the latest F-Gas regulations?

In January 2020, the European Union (EU) updated the rules surrounding the use of fluorinated gases. We discuss what this means for Koura Klea® and its customers. 

Why was the change needed? 

Fluorinated gases, also known as F-Gas, are ozone friendly unlike previous refrigerants. However, many contain a relatively high global warming potential (GWP) and this means that they contribute to climate change. 

To combat this, the EU regularly updates its laws to protect the environment and regulate industries as populations and demand grows. 

What are the new regulations?

High GWP products

As of the start of this year, the production of refrigerants containing a GWP of 2,500 or higher must be halted. 

There are some exceptions, such as military use, certain cooling applications and recycled refrigerants, which will be halted in 2030.  

This means that some Klea® refrigerants such as R-404A and R-507 will likely be phased out. However, Klea® has developed several lower GWP alternatives to these essential refrigerants. 

Phase down

New regulations will also phase down sales of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) across the EU, with a huge reduction of 79%. 

This will make HFCs such as R-404A, which is one of the most common products on the market, difficult to obtain due to competition in the market. 

What are the consequences? 

Those who are found to be in breach of the new regulations can face fines of up to £200,000. Further action may be taken for repeat offenders, such as removal or certification to work with F-Gas.  

What will replace high GWP products?  

The phase down caused uproar in the industry, as HFCs will be much harder to come by, making them more expensive. However, Koura has provided a solution. 

Koura has produced a range of low GWP alternatives to current products on the market, which will allow the industry to operate at the same level without concerns of phase outs for decades to come. The refrigerants, created for multiple applications, are future proof, with a GWP reduction of up to 90%. 

Not only are the refrigerants designed to be more energy efficient, but also offer a higher performance, making them an all-round improvement on what the industry current produces. 

LFR3 

For cooling applications such as commercial refrigerators and cold chain transportation, Klea® has created LFR3. With an extremely low GWP of just 140, it is designed to have a much lower environmental impact than CO2. It also outperformed CO2 in product testing with new systems, with 20% higher energy efficiency, and a much lower operating pressure. 

LFR5

As a solution to applications including medical and pharmaceutical, Klea® has launched R-473A. Effective down to -70°C, the high-performance alternative to current customer favourite R-23 is designed to deliver a higher performance, with improved energy efficiency and cooling capacity. 

For a free sample of our low GWP next generation refrigerants, please get in touch with your regional sales representative.