More refrigerant bans possible, says government

The government could tighten up the rules that restrict the use of global warming refrigerant gases, including speeding up phase out programmes and introducing new bans, according to a spokesman from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Jacob Andresen told a briefing event hosted by F-Gas register Refcom that the government “was still listening to the industry” and looking for ideas to help it meet increasingly demanding safety and environmental targets, including potentially speeding up the removal of HFC gases from the market.

Andresen, who leads the department’s F-Gas policy team, said the government was planning to consult the sector later this year on reforming its approach as it seeks to meet its obligations of remaining in step with the EU on refrigerant management and contribute to the UK’s own Net Zero targets.

“Do we need a new HFC phase down… do we need new bans?” he asked, adding that DEFRA was also keen to hear from the industry about barriers to wider uptake of lower global warming potential (GWP) alternative refrigerants including technology and safety issues.

During wider discussions at the event, which was held at the headquarters of Refcom’s parent body BESA in London, members said the flammability of alternative gases was a growing concern and called for the government to provide an information campaign and ensure more people undertook training.

BESA Technical Director Kevin Morrissey told the meeting that alternative refrigerants were one of the most common technical queries raised by callers to his department, along with issues linked to the phase down of HFCs.

Refcom, which carries out regular audits to help companies remain compliant with the F-Gas regulations, found that the most common issues identified by its auditors included businesses not having their own environmental policies, failing to provide full records of reclaimed refrigerant, and not ensuring job sheets were uploaded and included refrigerant returns.

“This is a tough and challenging industry and there is now much greater focus on competence and compliance,” added Morrissey. “However, the fact that there are around 9,000 businesses in Refcom helps us to address the big issues that many have in common. More companies and individuals are also taking advantage of the F-Gas training courses available through the BESA Academy.”

He added that Refcom was also updating its widely used design specification for DX air conditioning and heat pumps (RAC80) to help the industry remain compliant with the latest standards and best practices for safe refrigerant use.

Software provider Joblogic, which sponsored the event and provides a tailored software solution for REFCOM members, said that staying compliant with F-Gas regulations “is getting tougher” and companies that still rely on paper records were putting themselves at risk of fines and legal actions.

“Manual processes make it harder to maintain accuracy and audit readiness,” said business development manager Vishal Bedi. “Your engineers and office teams waste time duplicating data, and customers don’t get the full transparency [of records] that they now expect.”

The event was also supported by the Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) which is celebrating its 125th anniversary. Chief executive Miriam Rodway reminded the audience of the importance of collaboration between industry bodies to support the profession and represent its views to the government. Institute Fellow Ian Fisher also pointed out that membership of the IOR provided free access to more than 300 technical papers and best practice guides to help individuals keep their knowledge up to date and improve their career prospects.