A NEW study by EPEE suggests that the European refrigeration and air conditioning industry will exceed the emission reductions targets set by the EC.
A report carried out on behalf of EPEE by the French research bodies ARMINES / ERIE reveals that CO₂ eq emissions from refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump equipment have decreased by over 13% since 1990 and are set to decrease even further in the coming 20 years. The evidence suggests that regulations on ozone depleting substances and fluorinated gases (F-gases) have made an impact on the figures even though the refrigerant bank doubled over the past 10 years. CO₂ eq emissions have already decreased substantially by more than 13%, for the coming 20 years, the study predicts a further emissions reduction between 15% and 60% whilst assuming continuous market growth.

The study commissioned by industry association the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE), looks at two future scenarios: The first, the 'F-gas Scenario' is based on the full implementation of the F-gas regulation combined with current market trends, this together with the second 'F-gas Plus Scenario' takes into account a more aggressive introduction of lower GWP refrigerants. The results clearly show that the containment principle of the F-gas regulation has already started to deliver.

The 'F-gas Plus Scenario' illustrates the industry's potential to go even further, besides the introduction of lower GWP refrigerants, several other key factors contribute to achieving emissions reductions, like the improvement of emissions rates, lower refrigerant charges and higher recovery volumes at the end of life of the equipment containing refrigerant fluids.

Andrea Voigt, EPEE's director general explains: 'The ARMINES/ERIE study's results show that by fully implementing the EU F-Gas Regulation, emissions reduction in 2030 will even exceed the Commission's forecast by roughly 15%. By reducing the quantity of HFC refrigerants placed on the market via a phase-down scheme based on their CO₂ eq content, emissions will decline further. It has to be understood, however, that using lower GWP refrigerants may require a re-assessment of their safety implications as most of the alternatives are mildly or even extremely flammable, which excludes their use in certain applications. There is no perfect refrigerant.'

The EPEE research suggests that whilst F-gases only make up for 1.8% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU-27, CO₂ contributes to over 80% generated to a large extent by energy consumption. Any refrigerant bans or GWP cut-offs prescribing the use of certain refrigerants could therefore be counter-productive leading to higher energy consumption and increasing emissions.

To view the Executive Summary of the ARMINES / ERIE study click here.