Articles Tagged with ''Refrigerant Phasedown''

A global HFC phase-down agreement is set to become a reality following historic negotiations by countries worldwide in November in Dubai, which could see a formal reduction strategy by the end of 2016.

The amendment, deemed the “Dubai Pathway,” is expected to be completed in 2016 and puts to rest an ongoing discussion regarding HFC usage that’s persisted among Montreal Protocol members for more than five years. 

At the just-completed 36th Montreal Protocol Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) meeting in Dubai, the Parties achieved agreement on a mandate for the contact group. This is a significant step towards amending the Protocol, a step which has not been achieved in at least six years.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) final rule, announced July 2 and published in the Federal Register on July 20 (Federal Register Vol. 80 No. 138, July 20, 2015, 42870-42959), will — among other things — change the listing for certain refrigerants used for retail food refrigeration.

Ultimately, I think the elimination of the uncertainty about the terms of the final rule will help the refrigerant world by providing a clear direction. Now, everyone knows what they’re dealing with, and the known is always easier to face than the unknown.

With the delisting of some hydrofl uorocarbons (HFCs) for refrigeration, are you concerned about an imminent HFC phasedown for air conditioning?

It’s looking more likely that there will be a global agreement to phase down HFCs, and it could come as early as this year or possibly next; either way, it’s coming. 

Those involved at the sharp end of refrigerants and testing have underlined warnings that F-Gas quotas and the forthcoming bans are on course to create serious supply issues for end users and equipment manufacturers alike — if they don’t plan ahead.

Following the recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) final rule on the delisting of certain refrigerants in specific commercial refrigeration and air conditioning applications, Emerson Climate Technologies Inc. will host a webinar to cover the ruling and its implications.