Industry

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule of a 40% cut in the production and consumption of HFC refrigerants from 2024.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule to ban non-refillable cylinders in the US has been invalidated by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The ban was part of the US AIM Act, which aims to phase down the production and consumption of HFC refrigerants, and included provisions to ban the sale of disposable cylinders by the end of 2024 and to implement QR code tracking for individual cylinders in the supply chain. The EPA was challenged by three trade associations and a cylinder manufacturer, who claimed that the ban exceeded the EPA’s authority.

The UNEP OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP), West Asia Regional Office, jointly organized with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), a two-day stakeholders’ consultation workshop to discuss the implementation of the preparatory project for Stage II of the HCFC Phase-Out Management Plan (HPMP) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as approved by the Executive Committee (ExCom) at its 86th Meeting.

At an extraordinary meeting of the European Union Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) in Strasbourg, the state of negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, the so-called trilogue, was discussed. The purpose of the trilogue is to reach a preliminary agreement that would be accepted by both the EU Parliament and the Council. The role of the European Commission is to mediate between the parties.

The much-awaited agreement to revise the European F-Gas Regulation (517/2014) is not expected this month.

Speaking at the 20th European RACHP Conference in Milan on June 9, EPEE chief Russell Patten acknowledged that the issue of a ban on hydrofluorocarbons is no longer relevant. “The issue is the pace of transition and the availability of alternatives.”

Leading UK experts have accused the EU of being “blinkered” by ambition in their F-gas revision proposals, pushing for the UK to take a more pragmatic approach.

The Republic of Moldova will gradually reduce, starting 1 January 2024, the import and use of fluorinated greenhouse gases and will replace them with natural cooling agents, according to the provisions of the new law on fluorinated greenhouse gases, voted in the final reading by the Parliament. The law was developed with the support of the EU4Climate project, financed by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Moldova and is to enter into force six months after its publication. Until now, the import and use of F-gases was not regulated in Moldova.

Indonesia ratified the Kigali Amendment on December 14, 2022, through Presidential Regulation Number 129 of 2022 concerning the ratification of the amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, Kigali, 2016. Indonesia has affirmed its commitment to implementing the Kigali Amendment, which prescribes a reduction in the use and production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), from March 14, 2023, to help tackle climate change.

The first refrigerant destruction facility in New Zealand is to be built in Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island.

The EU’s industry and energy committee has voted through changes to the F-gas revision which could allow more time for industry to meet the EU’s climate and energy ambitions.

From 1 January 2023, the Australian Government will no longer charge fees to dispose of halon surrendered within Australia to the National Halon Bank.

After a slight increase in 2020, the total supply of F-gases to the EU continued to decline in 2021, according to the latest report from the European Environment Agency.

Industry groups from Europe and Japan have condemned F-gas amendments proposed by lead rapporteur Bas Eickhout, saying they would jeopardise the wider EU climate and energy targets.

All common higher GWP HFC refrigerants including R134a, R404A and R410A will be banned in most new refrigeration and air conditioning applications from 2025 under new US EPA proposals.

Cambodia has recently announced its new National Cooling Action Plan, the first to be developed in South-East Asia.

Speaking at ARBS, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Building Services, the director of the ozone and climate protection section in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Patrick McInerney, said the government is considering a range of options but wouldn’t commit to specific restrictions.

The Barbados National Cooling Strategy (NCS) has been made publicly available following its national approval in May 2022. Similarly, as part of the Ozone Day commemoration, the Government of Nigeria through the National Ozone Unit (Federal Ministry of Environment) has released their National Cooling Plan.

Limiting air conditioning temperatures, controlling chillers and AHUs and placing doors on chiller/freezer cabinets are amongst a range of measures and recommendations being implemented by the Portuguese government.

This report contains the greenhouse gas inventory for the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) sector in Kenya.