REFRIGERANTS
Meeting the low carbon challenge
A-Gas managing director John Ormerod looks ahead to next year with optimism and explains how the company is aiming to be a net zero business by 2035.
R
efrigerant recovery and reclamation have a big role to play as we look ahead to what’s happening next year. The continued challenges presented by the
F-Gas Regulation step downs are leading the industry to change the way it operates but other forces will also have an influence on how we work. We have the further pressures forced upon us by the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising cost of raw materials, energy and transport. We are still coming to terms with Brexit and the fall-out from our departure from the European Union. Skill shortages have been with us for some time and this is all happening with the backdrop of the slow switch to low carbon heating and cooling in homes and workplaces. But it’s not all bad news and there are some straightforward measures our industry can take to ease these difficulties. Opting to re-use the resources we have already is a practical first step on the road to creating a low carbon society and relieving pressures on the industry.
Experts know that refrigerants saved from disposal
and returned to use as reclaimed gases can make a direct contribution to the reduction in the use of virgin refrigerants and ensure that the industry remains within the limits imposed by the quota system. Reclaimed refrigerant sent to A-Gas reprocessing
centres undergoes chemical analysis, is cleaned of contaminants and goes through our separation plant to create a product that matches that of virgin refrigerant requirements. Refrigerant sent to A-Gas reprocessing centres becomes fully reclaimed product and is returned to the market in line with the AHRI 700 standard. This is an excellent example of the Circular Economy at work – the opposite to the take, make and dispose business model – and forces us to seek greater efficiencies and make better use of what we have already. Reclaimed refrigerant is quota free and gases saved from disposal and returned to use reduce the carbon footprint of the industry. They also save on raw material usage, energy consumption and unnecessary transport normally associated with virgin production.
20 December 2021 •
www.acr-news.com
Tools that make refrigerant recovery easier and quicken the process are valuable. The A-Gas Rapid Recovery, F-Gas compliant on-site recovery service, is a good example of how having the right equipment can make a real difference when it matters. The ease with which the refrigerants are removed is made possible by the mobile A-Gas Rapid Recovery unit. The quota system has been in place since January 1 to govern the import and export of HFC refrigerants between Great Britain and the rest of the world including the EU. This system controls the amount of virgin gases passing between us and the outside world and ensures that we keep to the rules laid down by the F-Gas Regulation. Virgin HFC refrigerants feature in the quotas but reclaimed gases are unaffected. This means the more we can reclaim, the more we can sell outside the quota system and in turn make available to the market. More change could also be on the way as the F-Gas Regulation goes out for consultation for further amendment in 2023-2024. This review will happen in the UK and in European Union countries and who knows we could end up with the two F-Gas systems going in differing directions. What is clear from the early discussions around the review, is that both the EU and the UK are planning to be more ambitious with the revision. This will likely mean a more aggressive phasedown and potentially more bans on particular applications for HFCs. Reducing emissions from the RACHP sector is a key part in helping countries achieve their net zero commitments. To highlight our own commitment to low carbon policies and practices A-Gas is pledging to become a net zero company by 2035. We are also aiming to reduce our existing emissions by 50 per cent by 2028. This not only aligns with the goals of the Paris Agreement but brings our emission reductions in line with those mandated by science based targets. These are ambitious plans but achieving them grows more important every day. To support our journey towards net zero, we have
launched a dedicated Towards Zero, Together campaign where targeting net zero is top of our agenda and will be incorporated within our existing ISO Safety, Quality and
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