HFO Facts
Honeywell HFO Products Recognized by U.S. Department of Energy as Essential for Expanding Domestic Heat Pump Production
On Friday, the Biden Administration announced that it’s investing $169 million to accelerate electric heat pump manufacturing at a select few sites across the country. Honeywell is proud to be on the short list of companies to receive an award, specifically with a $15 million grant that will be used to expand production of next generation, low global warming potential (low-GWP) heat pump refrigerants at our Geismar facility in Louisiana.
Heat pumps are a newer technology to replace air conditioning, that use electricity to transfer heat from a cool space to a warm space. They’ve been shown to reduce electricity use by as much as 50% when compared to furnaces and baseboard heaters, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50% when compared to gas boilers.
To recognize the benefits of heat pumps that the Biden Administration hopes to achieve, it’s critical that they are powered with the right technology. A key component for powering heat pumps is the refrigerant – a working gas-fluid that’s used to cool or heat the air. Historically, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) have been the most widely utilized refrigerant, but due to their ultra-high global warming potential (high-GWP) they are in process of rightfully being phased out by lawmakers and regulators around the world.
Honeywell purposefully designed hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) as a low-GWP replacement for HFCs. Use of Honeywell’s HFOs have already helped avoid the potential release of the equivalent of more than 326 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equal to the carbon emissions from nearly 70 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles per year. This award is a recognition of the vital role that Honeywell plays in helping our nation meet its climate goals and increase domestic security. We will use this grant to expand the production of HFOs at our Geismar, Louisiana facility by 11%, which will provide the U.S. heat pump sector with a strong domestic supply chain for efficient refrigerants, giving us an even greater ability to reduce cooling and heating-related emissions and mitigate the negative impacts of climate change more rapidly.
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Getting more American-made electric heat pumps on the market will help families and businesses save money with efficient heating and cooling technology.
- U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm
This expanded capacity will support an additional 1.4 million U.S. residential heat pumps annually. Through this work, we will also protect existing roles in Louisiana and create an additional 50 construction, technology, and clean energy temporary jobs throughout the construction phase.
We applaud the Biden Administration’s efforts to spur economic growth and maximize the benefits of clean energy to all communities, and congratulate the other future shaping companies who are part of building this new high-tech American industry. We’re honored and excited to work with DOE to decarbonize and grow the U.S. heat pump economy.
