Spotlight on Refrigerant Recovery, Reclamation and Destruction
Avoiding refrigerant emissions and reusing refrigerant, where practical, contributes to the circular economy. However, data for reclamation in the EU are incomplete as there is no reporting requirement under the F-gas Regulation for companies that undertake reclamation but none of the reportable activities such as production, import or export. Furthermore, companies reporting on destruction cannot report on reclamation either. The F-gas Review provides an opportunity to require more complete data that would provide an improved understanding of how refrigerant reclamation is contributing to the circular economy.
The incomplete data available in the latest EEA report show that in 2020, reclaimed HFCs increased by 8% in tonnes, but as CO2e it decreased slightly as R-404A reclaim decreased. Reclaimed HFCs account for 3% (tonnes) and 4% (as CO2e) of supply. Destruction is mainly reported for HFCs. The amounts destroyed decreased by 24% in 2020 after more than doubling the year before.
According to a recent article (see ACR Journal) the UK is a world leader in refrigerant recovery and reclamation. The supply chain structure has wholesalers playing a key role in how the UK industry operates. The F-gas regulation, with its emphasis on restricting the use of virgin gases, has created the environment to allow the UK to take advantage of the benefits of reclaimed refrigerant. Progress is being made as more contractors see the benefits of refrigerant recovery for reclamation and reuse.
Increased use of reclaimed HFCs in new equipment. Chillers and heat pumps built in Italy are being charged with reclaimed R-134a helping to develop a ‘circular economy’ of refrigerants. Up to 400,000 kg/year of R-134a isbeing used in seven different models of heat pumps and chillers. As well as the environmental benefits, reclaimed refrigerant is not counted as part of the HFC quota system under the F-gas regulation. In theory, there is no limit to how many times the HFCs can be reclaimed if it continues to meet the AHRI700 specification of > 99.5% purity. See Refrigeration Industry.
Regulation driving increased use of reclaimed refrigerants in USA. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) Regulation Order for Reclaimed Refrigerant Use for Manufacturers of AC Equipment will result in increased use of reclaimed HFCs. In 2022, under a newly announced partnership, one of the largest refrigerant reclaimers in the United States will supply reclaimed refrigerant for use in a range of healthy indoor air quality solutions. See Yahoo.