A new round of inter-institutional discussion is set to start soon about F-gas regulation. «In April, the EU executive presented a proposal to get rid of F-gas refrigerants – APPLiA Europe explains –. If it became law, bans would enter into force from as early as 2027 for some products, including green technologies like heat pumps. The almost 30 thousands different models of heat pumps currently present on the market would thus have to rely on natural refrigerant alternatives. Which involves the adaptation of production processes, but also the training of installers with an impact on the affordability of products».
This prospect will create several critical issues for the industry, as APPLiA underines: «This comes at a time when Europe placed heat pump technologies at the heart of its flagship REPowerEU plan to ditch fossil fuels and many European companies are already at the forefront of this development. The sector has been investing in cleaner technologies using lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants and designing energy-efficient products that are good for the environment and for the wallet.»
«However – the Association adds – ramping up the timeline for phasing out F-gases at the same time as ramping up the targets for heat pumps under REPowerEU is incompatible. The European Commission’s initiative sets a target to deploy 60 million heat pumps by 2030. Designing systems that operate as efficiently with new refrigerant alternatives requires time and research, which comes with financial implications for both manufacturers and consumers».
