USA: Honeywell says it is fully prepared to supply automakers with the new HFO refrigerant 1234yf after the European Commission reconfirmed that the MAC directive would be fully enforced from the start of this year.
The US refrigerant manufacturer said it welcomed implementation of the Europe's MAC Directive, which is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Compared with R134a, the refrigerant it replaces, R1234yf offers a 99.7% improvement in global warming potential.R1234yf has a GWP of 4 compared to R134a's 1430.

'Honeywell has been preparing to assist automakers meet this milestone directive, investing in research to develop HFO1234yf, which is the alternative refrigerant that best meets the requirements for safety, effectiveness and energy efficiency,' said Dr. Ian Shankland, chief technology officer for Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies. 'HFO-1234yf is a near drop-in replacement for HFC-134a, making it easy and cost-effective for automakers to comply with the MAC Directive.'

The European Union's F-Gas Regulation (842/2006), passed in July 2006 and enforced through the MAC Directive, aims to reduce emissions of specific fluorinated greenhouse gases in the air-conditioning systems in passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The directive requires that refrigerants in all new type vehicles sold in Europe after January 1, 2013, have a GWP below 150 and that all cars sold after 2017 meet the lower GWP requirement.

The European Commission, at a December 2012 meeting of its Technical Committee - Motor Vehicles (TCMV), reconfirmed that the MAC directive would be fully enforced starting on January 1. This was despite opposition in Germany, particularly from Daimler, which questioned the safety of the new gas in view of its flammability.

In response, Honeywell said: 'HFO1234yf has been exhaustively and extensively evaluated by respected global testing agencies, including SAE International, which concluded after a three-year evaluation of the refrigerant involving 15 global automakers, 17 top automotive suppliers and 18 international, independent research institutes that the refrigerant is safe and effective in automotive applications.'