Chemours has applauded the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for publishing a Final Rule under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) to ban certain hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

It says this is an important first step in changing the regulatory status of a variety of high global warming potential (GWP) HFCs.

The change in SNAP status makes it no longer acceptable to use these particular HFCs in specific applications after the specified date. Applications that are impacted include mobile and stationary refrigerants, foam expansion agents and aerosol propellants. Details on the ruling can be found at http://1.usa.gov/1dBiL7B and http://1.usa.gov/1HAz7cN

Global business director at Chemours Fluorochemicals, Diego Boeri, said: “Chemours continues to support the President’s Global Climate Action Plan and the EPA’s commitment to exercising their authority to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in applications that have readily available lower GWP options. That is why we have invested significantly to bring our line of Opteon low global warming potential, energy efficient products to market.”

He continued: “We believe it is critical that we reduce high GWP emissions in a manner that ensures that we are still able to deliver the essential societal services that HFCs provide today. When used as directed, our products meet this need, providing safe and energy efficient refrigeration, air conditioning, foam production, and aerosol propellants, as well as fire suppression and waste heat recovery.”

In addition, Kathryn K McCord, North America business and marketing director, Chemours Fluoroproducts, said: 'Our Fluorochemicals business continues to develop and commercialize new high-value offerings based on our breakthrough HFO technology to meet our customers' needs for low GWP solutions.”

She added: 'Opteon low GWP products from Chemours provide critical solutions in response to regulatory and sustainability demands.  These solutions will not only reduce their application’s GWP, but can also improve energy efficiency, further reducing the overall climate change impact.  We anticipate that our new family of products will reduce greenhouse gas content of refrigerants alone by 245 million tons CO2 equivalent worldwide by 2025.'

Chemours has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to bring to the market new Opteon products with no ozone depletion and low global warming potential. The company and its suppliers are planning to invest hundreds of millions more over the next five years to bring online additional capacity of these more sustainable, high-performance products that serve a wide range of applications.