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 … Continue reading Proposed stay of execution for refrigerant in PFAS ban
VASA members and others in the automotive air-conditioning sector have until Sunday 10 May to provide feedback on draft units of competency that will shape how the industry trains for flammable refrigerant handling. The Mining and Automotive Skills Alliance (AUSMASA) has released a first draft of updated training products from the Certificate II in Automotive Air Conditioning … Continue reading Have your say on flammable refrigerant training units
The Australian government has listed hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and some HFC alternatives on the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) workplan for 2026-27, signalling that new restrictions on refrigerant use – including in pre-charged equipment – could be finalised by 1 July 2027. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) confirmed the … Continue reading Australia flags new HFC restrictions, lists refrigerants on 2026-27 IChEMS workplan
The European rail industry is embracing R290, a hydrocarbon refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) of 3 for train HVAC systems. As well as aligning with the European Union’s F-Gas regulations and potential restrictions on PFAS substances, this shift marks a significant departure from high-GWP HFCs like R407C and R134a. Liebherr Transportation Systems, a … Continue reading Hydrocarbon-based railway HVAC does without secondary loop
Ford announced at the recent ATMOsphere MAC Summit in Berlin that it aims to tackle the challenge of electric vehicle thermal management with the use of R290-based full secondary loop heat pumps. Developed with Denso, the technology uses propane as a refrigerant and is said to surpass traditional direct expansion systems by demonstrating significant efficiency … Continue reading Ford and Denso explore hydrocarbon refrigerant for EV thermal management
Chemours and Honeywell have announced the development of a “retrofit approach for vehicles using the legacy R134a mobile air-conditioning refrigerant” that enables these systems to run R1234yf. As Honeywell rightly points out, there are hundreds of millions of cars on the roads “potentially leaking R134a every day.” Replacing all that refrigerant, with its global … Continue reading Retrofits to return: Why it won’t be simple
During the 2024 Wire & Gas Gala Awards Dinner, VASA president Brett Meads unveiled a crucial new awareness campaign designed to address the risks posed by DIY refrigerant products and emerging multi-refrigerant market. In his speech, Meads was joined by John McCormack, a director of Refrigerants Australia, and Michael Bennett AM, former ARC chair and … Continue reading Refrigerant awareness campaign announced at Wire & Gas 2024
German compressor manufacturer Secop has unveiled the BD Nano, a cutting-edge silent compressor designed for battery-driven applications such as motorhomes and electric vehicles. Secop anticipates that the BD Nano will boost the performance of in-car compressor refrigerators, such as those found in electric vehicles like the Kia EV5, which has a four-litre capacity, and the … Continue reading New onboard fridge compressor for EVs
Britain’s biggest supermarket chain has adopted cutting-edge transport refrigeration technology with the addition of two trucks to the Tesco fleet equipped with propylene (R1270) and CO2 (R744) refrigeration units from German manufacturer EcoolTec Tesco becomes the first in the UK to embrace EcoolTec’s all-electric TM182 units, which stand out in the heavy commercial transportation sector … Continue reading EcoolTec reefer with dual-circuit system uses both R1270 HC and R744 CO2 refrigerants
Refrigerant manufacturer Honeywell, which co-developed R1234yf with Chemours, has filed an application with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeking approval for the use of YF as a retrofit refrigerant in R134a systems. This step, previously considered unlikely due to YF’s A2L mild flammability rating, was motivated by growing concern about the availability and … Continue reading R1234yf retrofits coming after all?
