WILMINGTON, Del. — The Chemours Co. announced that its Opteon™ XP30 refrigerant has received Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) listing from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for new and retrofit chiller applications.

The SNAP approval paves the way for chiller OEMs to introduce new products that incorporate the refrigerant to help reduce environmental impact. The new refrigerant will provide the industry with a low-global warming potential (GWP) option to replace R-123, as R-123 is subject to phaseout under the Montreal Protocol and will be not be used in new equipment in the U.S. and other countries starting in 2020.

Chemours said Opteon XP30 is a low GWP (under 2), hydrofluoro-olefin (HFO) based refrigerant that is safe, non-flammable, efficient, and thermally stable. It has a pending ASHRAE number of R-514A, which is expected to be final in June, and is an HFO-1336mzzZ based blend.

Trane, a brand of Ingersoll Rand, announced that in 2017, it will offer its small tonnage CenTraVac™ chillers for markets like office and municipal buildings with a choice of current refrigerant R-123 or with R-514A. Trane will also offer a service option that requires minimal rework to convert existing CenTraVac chillers to R-514A.

“Our customers require us to be on the cutting edge of technology so that they can meet the challenges that face them in the years ahead,” said Diego Boeri, global business director Chemours Fluorochemicals. “As the latest innovation in our low-GWP portfolio, Opteon XP30 provides a long term solution to the low pressure chiller market with its optimal balance of efficiency, safety, performance, and sustainability.”

The SNAP listing follows Chemours’ announcement in November 2015 that the company had officially broken ground on the world’s first full-scale production facility for HFO-1336mzzZ. The new site, with expected production beginning mid-year 2017, will provide increased capacity for low-GWP refrigerants and foam blowing agents.

For more information, visit www.opteon.com.

Publication date: 6/21/2016

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