F-gas Regulation, What Applies?
We have previously written generally about refrigerants here [https://stage.escowa.se/koldmedia], but below we will address the issue of the F-gas regulation and the rules that apply as of the current publication date.
F-gas is an abbreviation for fluorinated greenhouse gases, which are found in refrigerants used in cooling systems for water coolers. According to the regulation, since January 1, 2022, it has been prohibited to “place equipment containing F-gases on the market for newly produced equipment within the Union.”
Escowa’s Coolers Have Long Been Free of F-gases
Escowa has long replaced the current F-gas (R134a) in its range of water coolers with alternatives that do not impact the ozone or greenhouse effect.
According to Article 2:10 of the regulation, equipment placed on the market before December 31, 2021, is still allowed to be sold in subsequent stages. This means that cooling units sold to Escowa within the Union, and thus placed on the market in the first instance, can continue to be sold to resellers and end-users.
F-gas and Comparison Values
For F-gases, environmental impact is specified in GWP (Global Warming Potential), and they are listed, along with the category for all F-gases, in the refrigerant listing in Annex I of the regulation (linked to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s shortened version: https://www.naturvardsverket.se/upload/stod-i-miljoarbetet/vagledning/kemikalier/koldmedieforteckning-augusti-2019.pdf).
The gas we replaced, R134a, is a Hydrofluorocarbon gas (HFC) with a GWP value of 1430. This corresponds to a CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) of about 0.0572 tons for our units. This is well below the reporting threshold, according to the current specified value of >5 tons CO2e.
As a replacement for R134a, we actively worked on redesigning our current models to use a new type of refrigerant. The gas R600a is used as a replacement in smaller and standard units, while R290 serves its function in slightly larger units.
The ban originates from an agreement in the Kyoto Protocol and has been regulated since 2005 in the F-gas Regulation (current, EU517:2014). F-gases have already played an important role in replacing ozone-depleting gases, but they instead have a negative impact on the greenhouse effect. For the national Swedish market, there is also an addition in the form of 2016:1128, the Regulation on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases, issued by the Ministry of the Environment.
Refrigerant is generally referred to as the function in a heat exchange system where a gas or liquid changes state, thereby creating energy. This is used in systems such as air conditioning and refrigerators. Refrigerant is the name for a gas or liquid whose sole function is to transport heat away, such as coolant.
(Wikipedia)
Sources: