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The fluorinated greenhouse gases the best known are R134a, R143, PFC, or SF6. The rules to be observed concerning these gases were previously formalized in Regulation No. 842/2006 of 17 May 2006.
The new Regulation No. 517/2014 of 16 April 2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases repeals and replaces the 2006 regulation as of 1 January 2015. Its purpose is to prevent and reduce fluorinated greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union.
This concerns operators of installations such as chiller units, air conditioning systems, heat pumps, fire protection systems, electrical switchgear, but now also refrigerated trucks and trailers.
The rules to be observed concerning certain fluorinated greenhouse gases were previously formalized in Regulation No. 842/2006 of 17 May 2006. The best known fluorinated greenhouse gases are R134a, R143, PFC, or SF6.
The new Regulation No. 517/2014 of 16 April 2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases repeals and replaces the 2006 regulation as of 1 January 2015.
Its purpose is to prevent and reduce emissions of fluorinated gases in the European Union.
It applies to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs such as HFC-134a or HFC-143, ...), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and other greenhouse gases listed in Annex I of the regulation, or mixtures containing any of these substances.
This regulation concerns operators of the following fixed installations: refrigeration equipment (e.g., chiller units), air conditioning and heat pump systems, including their circuits, fire protection systems, electrical switchgear, but now also refrigerated trucks and trailers.
Operators must implement measures to best prevent all atmospheric releases of fluorinated gases from this equipment.
This new regulation is no longer limited to regulating the containment and periodic checks of equipment. The new requirements aim to progressively reduce the placing on the market of HFCs so that users turn to existing, economically viable, energy-efficient, and safe alternative solutions.
The prevention of fluorinated greenhouse gas emissions is based on...
- periodic leak checks (targeting equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gases in quantities equal to or greater than 5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent) and the presence of periodically checked leak detection systems;
- record-keeping by the operator, detailing the quantities and types of fluorinated greenhouse gases installed, any quantities added, and quantities recovered during maintenance and servicing operations;
- the training and certification of personnel working on the equipment concerned;
- labeling: products and equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gases must have a label indicating the name of the fluorinated gas and its quantity.
Additional prohibitions on placing on the market are added in Annex III to restrict the use of certain gases in the following equipment (depending on the gases contained and their warming potential): fire protection equipment containing HFC-23, commercial refrigerators and freezers, split air conditioning systems, and autonomous mobile air conditioners.
Use restrictions are also in place for certain applications and equipment.
To support the gradual reduction in the use of HFCs, producers are now allocated quotas for placing these substances on the market (quotas determined based on quantities produced or imported during the period 2009 to 2012).
Companies producing small quantities (less than 100 tonnes of CO2 equivalent of HFCs per year), as well as certain categories ofHFCs (HFCs imported for destruction, HFCs used as process agents, etc.) are exempt from this system.
An electronic registry is established to manage the allocation and potential transfers of quotas between producers.