Proposed stay of execution for refrigerant in PFAS ban

Fluorinated refrigerants including R-1234yf should be carved out of the European Union’s proposed universal PFAS restriction and instead regulated under the existing F-gas Regulation, according to a major study commissioned by the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE).

The report, which examined how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances support EU industrial competitiveness, concluded that “substitution is not currently feasible given economic, technical, and safety constraints” for fluorinated gases used in refrigeration and air conditioning.

It recommended that all regulatory control of F-gases be consolidated into the existing F-gas Regulation rather than captured under a blanket PFAS ban.

“This will allow fostering the development of alternatives where possible in a more gradual way while still ensuring Europe retains the capacity to innovate in green technologies,” the report states.

For the Australasian automotive air conditioning sector, the recommendation represents a potential reprieve from the most disruptive regulatory scenarios.