We may take safe refrigerant destruction for granted in our part of the world, but Cuba has joined a handful of nations in the Caribbean region capable of safely destroying ozone-depleting substances (ODS). According to Granma (the official voice of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee), Cuba destroyed 258.4 kilograms of ODS in the first nine … Continue reading Cuba gets into refrigerant destruction
The British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has admitted that a loophole in ‘F-Gas’ regulations that make up part of European HFC phasedown legislation makes it possible for people without refrigerant recovery qualifications to purchase refrigerants for the service of passenger car air conditioning systems. In June DEFRA issued a notice to … Continue reading UK confusion over refrigerant licensing
But AAAA doesn’t consider it necessary or desirable Down Under The United States Government has amended the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to allow owners of passenger cars, commercial vehicles and agricultural machinery to legally modify onboard computer software, providing these changes do not result in the breach of any Department of Transport or Environmental … Continue reading US legalises deeper access to car computers
Mandatory Code of Practice now the only option: AAAA The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) says the majority of car manufacturers are behaving exactly as expected in response to the Heads of Agreement on Access to Service and Repair Information for Motor Vehicles that was signed in December last year. Almost a year on, only … Continue reading Car companies drag repair data sharing chain
German brand sharing CO2 tech to accelerate automotive adoption After years of resistance, Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler has finally decided to adopt R1234yf in some models, but only as a stepping-stone towards the range-wide rollout of cars with air conditioning systems using CO2 refrigerant (R744). The first R744-equipped models will be the high-end S-Class and … Continue reading Mercedes-Benz adopts R1234yf as CO2 stepping stone
IT’S official: A global HFC phasedown under the Montreal Protocol will be negotiated and could be agreed to as early as next year, now that the main objectors to forming an HFC contact group have softened their previously hard-line stance. The breakthrough was made in Dubai, on the eve of the 27th Meeting of the … Continue reading Global HFC phasedown progresses in Dubai
Despite independent safety study, DoE sees barriers to action In its Review of the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Programme options paper, the Australian Department of the Environment says that as a Commonwealth authority it does not consider itself to have responsibility for the safety aspects of its central position within the refrigeration and air … Continue reading Ozone review pays lip service to safety concerns
VASA was among the 13 industry organisations David Caple & Associates consulted with, in addition to 22 regulators, eight training organisations, 17 suppliers and service providers, one trade union, one insurance group and seven overseas advisors. Conclusions of the report are not as definitive as VASA or many others in the industry would have hoped, … Continue reading Recommendations of David Caple report find their way into the Ozone Review technical analysis
Rise in licensing and levy costs mooted, but no alternative refrigerant controls Despite the regulation of all refrigerants under the review of Australia’s Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management (OPSGGM) programme being unanimously desired by industry, the review options paper and supporting documents published by the Department of the Environment in October 2015 give … Continue reading Ozone review: Options paper falls short
Lead chemist in the development of new industry-standard automotive refrigerant R1234yf Mario Nappa has been awarded the 2015 Winthrop-Sears Medal for entrepreneurial achievement. Dr Nappa, who worked with Wire & Gas 2015 keynote speaker Barbara Minor on the R1234yf project, already has quite a collection awards for technical achievement, invention and engineering excellence to go … Continue reading R1234yf boffin wins Chemists’ Club medal
