Important Deadline
F-gas Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 Article 13 ‘Control of Use’: Jan 2020
Following the enforcement of the F-gas Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 across Europe in 2015, Article 13, which bans the use of virgin HFCs with a GWP of 2,500 or more for service or maintenance operations, will come into place from 1 January 2020.
The F-gas Regulation (EC) No 517/2014 Article 13 states:
(3) From 1 January 2020, the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases, with a global warming potential of 2500 or more, to service or maintain refrigeration equipment with a charge size of 40 tonnes of CO2 equivalent or more, shall be prohibited.
This does not include military equipment or equipment intended for applications designed to cool products to temperatures below -50 OC; recycled refrigerants can also be used until 2030.
Below is a list of common refrigerants with a GWP >2,500 and a calculation giving the allowed threshold in kg.
| Refrigerant | GWP | CO2 Tonnes | Permitted Kg |
| R23 | 14800 | 40 | 2.7kg |
| R404A | 3922 | 40 | 10kg |
| R422D | 2729 | 40 | 14.5kg |
| R422A | 3143 | 40 | 12.7kg |
| R434A | 3245 | 40 | 12.3kg |
| R428A | 3607 | 40 | 11kg |
| R507A | 3985 | 40 | 10kg |
| R508B | 13396 | 40 | 2.9kg |
Steps to take
From 1 January 2020 please ensure that when servicing or maintaining refrigeration and air conditioning systems, the system charge size is first checked, and the correct product or servicing regime is carried out.
Regulation (EU) No 517/2014, Article 13(3) provides that with effect from 1 January 2020; if the regulation is ignored and a company is found guilty of not complying to the new regulation, under the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (Amendment) Regulations 2018, Schedule 4, the maximum civil penalty for such an offence is £100,000.00.
BOC would recommend that your company considers how to actively accelerate a transition to a medium-low GWP replacement refrigerant. BOC would be very happy to assist you in this refrigerant selection and evaluation process, please contact us on 0800 02 0800 or by email specialproducts@boc.com
F-Gas Regulations Update
The EU has published an updated regulation EC 517/2014. This regulation replaces 842/2006 and came into force on 1st January 2015. The changes include:
| Cap and Phase Down | A reduction on the placing of the market of f-gases via a cap, and phase down on the supply of HFCs. |
| New Product & Equipment Bans | Restrictions on certain refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, foams and propellants using f-gases. |
| Service & Maintenance Bans | Limits on the use of higher GWP gases, such as R404A and R507A, in existing refrigeration and air conditioning equipment from 2020. |
| Leakage Control | An increased need for leak checks, leak detection systems, and associated record-keeping. |
| Responsible Supply | A requirement that f-gases are only to be used by, and sold to, trained and certified users. |
| Labelling | A need for products and equipment to carry more information on the CO2e of the f-gas contained within the installation. |
A summary of the structure of the current and new f-gas regulations is detailed below:
| Principle | Current F-Gas Regulation | New F-Gas Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| Containment: Prevention of Emissions (Article 2) | Yes | Yes & new additions |
| Containment: Leak Checks & Leak Detection Systems (Articles 3 & 4) | Yes | Yes & new additions |
| Containment: Record Keeping (Article 5) | Yes | Yes |
| Recovery (Article 7) | Yes | Yes |
| Training & Certification (Article 8) | Yes | Yes & evaluation process |
| Restrictions on Placing on the Market (Article 9) | Yes (some) | Yes - increased number |
| Labelling (Article 10) | Yes | Yes & new additions |
| Control of Use (Article 11) | Yes - SF6 use bans | Yes - new service & maintenance bans |
| Pre-Charging of Equipment (Article 12) | Yes - new | |
| Reduction on the Placing on the Market of HFCs (Articles 13-16) | Yes - new | |
| Reporting (Article 17) | Yes | Yes |
BOC provides a wide range of analysis on the regulations as well as deep-dive reviews of key topics.
| Yes | Yes & evaluation process | |
| Restrictions on Placing on the Market (Article 9) | Yes (some) | Yes - increased number |
| Labelling (Article 10) | Yes | Yes & new additions |
| Control of Use (Article 11) | Yes - SF6 use bans | Yes - new service & maintenance bans |
| Pre-Charging of Equipment (Article 12) | Yes - new | |
| Reduction on the Placing on the Market of HFCs (Articles 13-16) | Yes - new | |
| Reporting (Article 17) | Yes | Yes |
EU F-Gas Regulations
Fluorinated greenhouse gases (f-gases) are a group of chemicals containing fluorine.
The most common f-gases in use within Europe are HFCs, such as R134a, R404A and R410A. These gases have a number of applications, the largest being as a refrigerant.
HFCs are ozone friendly, energy-efficient refrigerants that are generally of low toxicity and non-flammable. However f-gases have a relatively high GWP, and therefore contribute to global warming when released to the atmosphere.
