Under the Montreal Protocol, it was agreed that ozone-depleting substances, including CFCs and HCFCs, would be phased out globally.
The European Union has a strong commitment to protecting the ozone layer, with some of the strictest legislation in the world via regulation EC 1005/2009 and its predecessor 2037/2000:
From 1st January 2010: A ban on the use of virgin HCFCs to service and maintain refrigeration and air conditioning equipment.
From 1st January 2015: A ban on the use of reclaimed or recycled HCFCs to service or maintain refrigeration or air conditioning systems.
In both cases the ban applies even if the refrigerant gas was purchased prior to the respective date.
Linde Support: Finding the Route that Suits You Best
Our engineers can advise you on the various options available. Factoring in the age, working life, condition and operating costs of your facility, we can help you identify the phase-out strategy best suited to your application:
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Convert: In many cases it makes sense to convert your system to run on a retrofit HFC refrigerant. Once you have selected the best solution, the process is relatively quick and simple in many cases.
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Change: Alternatively you could decide to change your current equipment for a system designed to run on a different refrigerant. This option gives you access to the latest technologies, also giving you the widest range of potential solutions.
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Continue to use your current equipment and refrigerants: However, this is an extremely high risk strategy, as the system cannot be maintained or serviced.