ARC Insights: Auto refrigerant trends and summer reminder 

This summer, we’re keeping cooler than ever. Australia’s refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) industry has continued to grow steadily.

As per the latest 2024-25 ARC permit scheme annual report, the automotive sector holds the largest number of current Refrigerant Trading Authorisations (RTAs), making up more than 52 per cent of all current RTAs.

It is a similar for Refrigerant Handling Licences (RHLs). Sector-wise, automotive air-conditioning (AAC02) licence holders continue to form the majority of the ARCtick permit scheme.

These figures emphasise the prevalence of vehicle air-conditioning in Australia as almost every vehicle on the road today is equipped with an air-conditioning system. 

As per the Road Vehicles Australia report, there were 21.74 million registered motorised road vehicles on 31 January 2024 and increasing. 

This creates a substantial demand for automotive air-conditioning services. With the surge in demand to service the on-road vehicles, existing auto technicians with the AAC02 licence is also seeing an upward trend. 

With the development of the refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) industry, global governments and the refrigerant industry have internationally agreed phase down of high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

The industry is also observing uptake of newer alternatives like R1234yf in some newer vehicles, which has a GWP less than 1. However, this gas is classified as A2L as it is mildly flammable and not regulated. 

While there is a transition trend to lower GWP refrigerants, R134a will still be available for maintenance and servicing of older and existing equipment for years to come.

R134a is a scheduled refrigerant and has a GWP of 1430, meaning it traps 1430 times more heat than CO₂.

It is a legal requirement to hold a current ARCtick refrigerant handling licence to handle, and an ARCtick refrigerant trading authorisation to buy, sell and store, as per the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995.

As the summer heat sets in, it is a timely reminder that you cannot charge air-conditioning equipment with a higher global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant than the equipment was designed to use (the design refrigerant), so you cannot replace R1234yf, which is not a controlled refrigerant (GWP < 1), with R134a (GWP = 1430).

To do so is an offence under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995. 

R134a systems were not designed to operate using a flammable refrigerant.

Aside from the safety aspects, although the two refrigerants have similar thermodynamic properties, they are not the same.

Therefore, compressor damage or system performance limitations may be experienced by attempting to convert an R134a system to R1234yf

With the uptake of electrified vehicles, evolving technology of thermal systems and emerging refrigerant trends in the automotive industry, it is crucial to know the transitioning comes in with responsibility.

Emerging refrigerant information packs including an information booklet, wall chart and service stickers are available to all automotive RTA holders on ARCtick website.

Visit www.arctick.org/information/autogas/ to download the resources.

If ever in doubt about any aspects of refrigerant handling and regulatory compliance, ask ARC for help.

That’s what the field officers are for, plus you can reach us on 1300 88 444 83 or email enquire@arctick.org.