HFO Facts
The role of refrigeration in the EU’s Road to 2050
The European Green Deal sets out the ambition to accelerate the transition to reach Climate Neutrality by 2050. With sustainability at the heart of everything Honeywell does, it enthusiastically supports this target. And to achieve it, Honeywell knows that a balance needs to exist between reducing emissions from Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used as refrigerants in Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump (RACHP) equipment and reducing emissions with more heat pump installations. The target of installing more heat pumps was also echoed in the 2022 REPowerEU plan, that seeks full independence from Russian fossil fuels before 2030.
Honeywell thinks it’s an important moment to assess the role of refrigeration in the green transition. Since heating accounts for 50% of EU energy demand, and 70% still comes from burning fossil fuels, regulators are rightly looking at ways to cut down those emissions drastically.
Decarbonising heating and cooling
One of those plans falls under the F-Gas Regulation, an existing regulation that is currently undergoing its third revision. Honeywell has always supported the F-Gas Regulation and views it as an essential tool to reduce F-gas emissions by containing and phasing-down the use of high-GWP hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
Honeywell has been manufacturing Hydrofluoroolefins (HFO) since 2012. HFOs are fluorine-based gases that are mainly used as refrigerants, blowing agents, propellants and solvents. They are used in heat pumps, air conditioning systems and commercial cooling installations. HFOs have very low GWP. HFOs are a ready-now boost needed to support the EU’s climate goals and energy independence as outlined in the Green Deal, “Fit for 55” and REPowerEU. HFOs are also significantly less hazardous compared to industrial alternatives. They are low in toxicity, do not contribute to smog formation and do not operate under high operational pressure.
Potential unintended consequences
In recent months, the European Institutions have been discussing amendments to the regulatory framework of the revision of the F-Gas Regulation that would phase down the use of ultra-low GWP HFOs by removing the exemption limit for all F-gases with a GWP under 150. The removal or decrease of this 150 GWP limit will therefore create a hidden ban of all categories of HFO, including those widely adopted over the last eight years since the last revision of the F-Gas Regulation.
Why is that bad? Because it would hamper the climate goals as outlined in the overall Green Deal and REPowerEU by restricting ultra-lower GWP HFO refrigerants needed to achieve alternate, low carbon (95% lower footprint) and fossil fuel independent sources of heating. Since heat pumps are rapidly being deployed throughout Europe, ultra-low GWP HFOs are vital to replace fossil fuel powered heating systems with sustainable alternatives.
A ban on use of HFOs in refrigeration could add €10-30 billion in electricity costs to the European supermarket sector because of the lower energy efficiency of alternatives, requiring the systems to work harder, therefore consuming more energy. It would also have the unintended consequence of adding up to 24 million tCO2e in emissions to the environment – the equivalent of nearly 4.7 million petrol-powered cars driven for a year (Calculation based on Frankfurt climate conditions).
It becomes clear that the revision of the F-Gas Regulation as now envisaged will have consequences for the climate, and for the day-to-day lives of Europe’s citizens and its industries. Honeywell therefore urges European legislators to consider the impact of the proposed amendments on the broader EU climate goals and the need for alternative energy solutions.