2022 bans on certain types of fluorinated greenhouse gases ("F-gases") in refrigeration equipment
Date published:
New bans in Northern Ireland legislation came into force on 1st January 2022. These may affect businesses if they use commercial refrigeration equipment.
The bans apply to businesses which place on the market the following two categories of refrigeration equipment containing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs, a type of fluorinated greenhouse gas, or F-gas for short):
- New refrigerators and freezers for commercial use (hermetically sealed equipment) that contain HFCs with global warming potential (GWP) of 150 or more.
- New multipack centralised refrigeration systems for commercial use with a rated cooling capacity of 40 kW or more that contain, or whose functioning relies upon, F-gases with GWP of 150 or more, except in the primary refrigerant circuit of cascade systems where F-gases with a GWP of less than 1,500 may be used.
The aim on the bans is to limit NI's emissions of these types of F-gas, which have a very high GWP, and can exacerbate the effects of climate change.
Businesses that do not comply with the 2022 bans are breaking the law and are liable for enforcement action.
If you think that this may affect your business, please see the attached document, which will provide you with further information.