France sees natrefs delivering HFC phase-down targets
!/upload/files/f/france_natrefs.jpg (France sees natrefs delivering HFC phase-down targets)
France sees natural refrigerants as market-ready alternatives to HFCs, according an energy ministry official.
Natural refrigerants CO2, ammonia and hydrocarbons are market-ready alternatives to HFCs, Florian Veyssilier, a policy advisor in the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, told Accelerate Europe magazine.
“Natural refrigerants will play a key role in delivering Europe’s HFC phase-down targets. Indeed, there are natural refrigerant-based solutions available on the market for every application in the HVAC and refrigeration sectors,” Veyssilier said.
In Rwandan capital Kigali the early hours of 15 October, the world clinched an historic deal to limit the production and use of HFCs. The Kigali amendment – which is legally binding for all 197 Parties to the Montreal Protocol – sees developed countries take the lead on phasing down these potent greenhouse gases, starting with a 10% reduction in 2019 and delivering an 85% cut in 2036 (compared to the 2011-2013 baseline).
“The [Kigali] amendment will avoid the vast majority of HFC consumption by 2050 and 2100 of the ‘business as usual’ scenario we were following until now. Especially in countries that are expected to consume the most HFC gases in the future but which don’t have specific legislation today to limit consumption of these gases on their territories,” Veyssilier said.
HFCs: ‘A substance to give up’
“The amendment gives a clear signal to companies and government that HFCs will no longer be a promising market but rather a substance to give up. Investment in innovations will be more focused on alternative gases. This will reduce their cost,” Veyssilier argued.
The ministry official urges the European Union to support natural refrigerants more openly.
“It’s important for HFC users to have a large choice of reliable alternatives to HFCs. Most natural refrigerants are gases with a long industrial history, with reliable sourcing capacities. There are a large number of suppliers, which makes them safe options for decisions on the market,” he argued.
“This is why it’s important that the EU facilitates their development as alternatives,” he added.