EU F-gas version 3.0 – what does it mean for the refrigeration sector?

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EU F-gas version 3.0 – what does it mean for the refrigeration sector?

The third version of the EU F-gas Regulation was published in the European Union Official Journal on Tuesday 20 February 2024.1 It became enforceable across the EU on 11 March 2024. ATMOsphere considers this piece of legislation key to accelerate the uptake of natural refrigerants in the coming years and expects it to play a major role as 'best in class' across different heating and cooling applications worldwide.

This factsheet is meant to explain the main provisions

addressing the refrigeration industry and guide investors, end users and industry in choosing future proof solutions.

New Refrigeration Bans

The following bans2 have been introduced considering alternative technologies not relying on fluorinated refrigerants, such as natural refrigerants.

EU F-gas version 3.0
Domestic refrigerators and fridges F-gases 1 January 2026 Refrigerators and freezers for commercial use (self-contained equipment) F-gases with GWP 150 or more 1 January 2025 Any self-contained refrigeration equipment F-gases with GWP 150 or more 1 January 2025 Any refrigeration equipment F-gases with GWP of 2500 or more 1 January 2025 F-gases with GWP 150 or more 1 January 2030 Servicing ban on any refrigeration equipment F-gases with GWP 2500 or more 1 January 2025 Servicing ban on stationary refrigeration equipment HFCs with GWP 750 or more 1 January 2032

Additional Key Measures

1. All HFCs will be banned for consumption by 2050, alongside strengthening of illegal trade measures. These measures are meant to increase the price of HFCs placed on the European market. Measures to prevent illegal trade

via digitalization of custom duties procedures are meant to reduce the dumping effect of legally introduced HFCs on the European market.

2. 20-year GWP added alongside 100-year GWP for HFCs and HFOs. This can help decision makers understand the "real" GWP of fluorinated gasses.

3. Applying the precautionary principle and linking F-gases with PFAS. By legally establishing that some fluorinated gasses are, or degrade into PFAS, the EU PFAS restriction proposal currently in discussion becomes the next regulatory step to ban harmful synthetic refrigerants.

4. Training and certification for equipment working with natural refrigerants mandatory in Article 10. By mandating the inclusion of natural refrigerants in training and certification programmes, natural refrigerant based technologies will be mainstreamed in the education of technicians.

EU F-gas version 3.0
Year 120 80 60 40 20 0 100 140 160 180 200 2015 20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026202720282029203020312032203320342035203620372038203920402041204220432044204520462047204820492050onwards Current EU HFCs Consumption limits Montreal Protocol Kigali Amendment [MtCO2e] Previous F-Gas Regulation [MtCO2e] New F-Gas version III [MtCO2e] 1 The legal text can be consulted at the following link. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202400573 The Regulation will be enforceable as of March 11. 2 This is a simplification for space constraints. Only new bans are listed. More details can be found in the legal text.

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