ODS destruction/recovery technologies

To clarify implementation of legislation governing reuse, recycling, and regeneration of waste f-gases, the French Ministry for the Ecological Transition yesterday (22 November) published a guidance document governing the reuse, recycling and disposal of HFCs.

Refcom, the largest UK register for safe refrigerant handling, has called for F-gas emissions rules to be tightened in the wake of Brexit.

The European Environment Agency (EAA) published in September 2017 a report entitled Ozone-depleting substances 2016. The report summarises the data reported by European companies in accordance with the Ozone depleting substances (ODS) Regulation for 2016 and looks at the major trends since 2006. The substances concerned are those of controlled by the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer — chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride (CTC), 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs), bromochloromethane (BCM) and methyl bromide (MB).

A-Gas’ Rapid Recovery service came into its own recently when asked to recover around 3 tonnes of refrigerant from a cruise ship while the vessel was still at sea.

A-Gas has acquired the Dutch refrigerant, speciality gases and fire suppressants reclamation business BTC.

A-Gas has unveiled a new rapid refrigerant recovery service which could save contractors and end users considerable time and money.

Despite the scorching heat wave, construction of A-Gas’ latest waste refrigerant distillation plant at Portbury is progressing well.

Refrigerant recovery is the focus of the latest technical bulletin from certification company Refcom.

A-Gas is on schedule to double its refrigerant reclamation capacity at its Portbury, Bristol, site with the completion of the major structural components of a new refrigerant separator.

The video – for Refrigerants, Naturally! – shows the process of recycling drinks coolers filled with hydrocarbons.

The Spanish government has launched a call for projects that replace high-GWP refrigerants with low-GWP alternatives.

The Australian government has introduced legislation to phase down HFCs starting in 2018.

California has moved ahead of the Kigali amendment to phase-down HFCs by approving plans to implement its own phase-down of HFCs.

The first ever “Ozone2Climate” Technology Roadshow and Industry Roundtable under the HCFC Phase out Management Plan project was organized by the Ministry of Climate Change, Government of Pakistan, UN Environment Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) Asia and Pacific Office AP team in association with UNIDO and the Pakistan Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry Association. The Technology Roadshow and one-day Roundtable was organized as a part of the launch of the recently approved Stage 2 project for HCFC phase out and helped the participants understand the implications of the recently agreed Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol for the phase down of HFCs.

On 9 January 2017, the Madrid Provincial Court convicted a former company owner to a six-month prison sentence, a fine and prohibited the involvement in any commercial activity related to refrigeration or air-conditioning during a period of 6 years.

Since the Marrakech Climate Change Conference, 17 countries have ratified the Paris Agreement. The total number of ratifications stands at 132 countries.

The European Commission has adopted a proposal for the EU to ratify the amendment to the Montreal Protocol on a global phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), tackling the rapid growth of emissions of these potent greenhouse gases.

The supply of R-22 is dwindling. Back in October 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its final phasedown schedule regarding the production and importation of HCFC-22. The order called for an immediate drop from 51 million pounds allowed in 2014 to 22 million pounds in 2015 and 18 million pounds in 2016. The supply will be further slashed to 13 million pounds this year, 9 million pounds in 2018, and 4 million pounds in 2019. No new or imported R-22 will be allowed in the U.S. on or after Jan. 1, 2020.

Montreal Protocol parties have successfully replaced 98 per cent of the controlled uses of methyl bromide with alternatives that are more effective and much safer for the ozone layer.

The Italian multinational’s weekly blog will pay special attention to natural refrigerants.