Recovery, reclamation and containments of refrigerants and foam blowing agents

While recovery and reclamation of refrigerants is routine in the EU, some recent reports demonstrate the capacity of industry to deliver F-gas Regulation 2024/573 measures and similar requirements around the world. Data published earlier in the year, by VDKF shows further improvements in containment in Germany. In addition, recovery of foam blowing agents from electric water heaters is possible with a dedicated solution.

Rapid recovery of refrigerants. Apart from minimising the time taken, rapid recovery of refrigerants, can contribute to much shorter downtime during maintenance or system upgrade or replacement, improving cost effectiveness. One project in the UK, involved the recovery of 450kg of R-407C and R-410A and decommissioning of the 22 rooftop units, which was achieved in 5 hours due to the rapid recovery equipment (Cooling Post). Another recent example, for a data centre campus in Australia, 33 tonnes of R-410A were recovered during decommissioning of 222 cooling units while maintaining operational continuity (DCN Magazine).

The recovery of foam blowing agents for destruction can be challenging. A dedicated solution has been developed for electric water heaters where the cylindrical shape and volume make them incompatible with generic shredding plants. The world’s first line entirely dedicated to the treatment of electric boilers and recovery and separation of polyurethane, metals and foam blowing agents has been installed in Italy. An advanced gas management system captures the foam blowing agent on activated carbon followed by cryogenic condensation (Recycling International).

VDKF reports 1.07% average leakage rates from all plant types in 2024. In its current report for the analysis of refrigerant emissions, VDKF (Association of German Refrigeration-Air Conditioning Specialists) has evaluated information to determine refrigerant leakage rates. The VDKF receives data from over 65,000 system operators and around 293,000 refrigeration and air conditioning systems via the "VDKF-LEC" industry software. The evaluation of the anonymized data transmitted last year has shown that the average leakage rate has fallen further. Including accidents, it was only 1.07% on average in 2024 for all system types (air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, industrial refrigeration and special systems) – in 2017 it was three times as high at 3.2%. The highest leakage rates are in commercial refrigeration (1.89%), the lowest in split air conditioning (0.54%). According to VDKF, this is a considerable success for the entire refrigeration/air conditioning industry – manufacturers, plant manufacturers and operators are placing increasing emphasis on the tightness of systems. On the one hand, this is due to an increased awareness of the environmental impact of direct emissions from fluorinated refrigerants; however, the increased refrigerant prices will also have their share in the development. A detailed evaluation of the "VDKF LEC" data can be found in issues 5-6 and 7-8 of the association's journal "VDKF Information", which is to be made available for download free of charge on the VDKF website.

VDKF-LEC refrigerant emissions report is also reported in Cooling Post. 

About VDKF-LEC. The European regulations and standards - e.g. EU Regulation 2024/573 (F-Gas Regulation) and EU Ozone Substances Regulation 2024/590 - as well as national legislation - e.g. the Chemical Ozone Layer Ordinance (ChemOzonSchichtV) and the Chemical Climate Protection Ordinance (ChemKlimaschutzV) - pose comprehensive tasks for both the operators of refrigeration and air conditioning systems and the refrigeration and air conditioning specialists. These include regular leakage checks, emission reduction, energy efficiency, maintenance tasks, protocol obligations and the recording of direct and indirect emissions. VDKF-LEC, conveniently takes care of all the necessary records, reporting and monitoring requirements for the plant operator. VDKF-LEC is a tool that offers the plant operator a complete solution for its recording and reporting obligations. In addition to the planning of the system, installation, maintenance and service, VDKF-LEC offers a complete service package from a single source. Further information is available here.