Delivery of F-Gases

F-Gases are used as refrigerants in several types of products and appliances, such as in refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump equipment.

Despite F-Gases having no ozone depletion potential, they are potentially powerful greenhouse gases with a global warming effect. Therefore, the F-Gas Regulation (Regulation 517/2014/EC) aims to reduce emissions of these gases through a variety of measures: rules on containment, use, recovery and destruction, but also quantitative limits for the placing on the market of HFCs (phase-down).

The revised F-Gas Regulation sets new requirements for delivery of fluorinated greenhouse gases: distributors have to perform a check. They need to ensure that the buyer of fluorinated greenhouse gases hold the appropriate certificate.

Our guide aims to provide a practical tool for distributors to help them with fulfilling their obligations.

This guide is divided in two parts: a summary of F-Gas Regulation requirements and a flowchart to decide what type of refrigerant can be supplied.  

WHAT ARE THE NEW LEGAL REQUIREMENTS?

Fluorinated greenhouse gases can only be sold to and purchased by certified undertakings for the following purposes:

• Installation, servicing, maintenance or repair of stationary air conditioning, refrigeration and heat pump equipment (RACHP equipment);

• Installation, servicing, maintenance or repair of refrigeration units of refrigerated trucks and trailers;

• Servicing and repairing air-conditioning units on road vehicles.

While according to the previous legislation only certified installers could take delivery of fluorinated greenhouse gases, the revised F-Gas Regulation now requires distributors to perform a check.

WHAT MUST DISTRIBUTORS DO?

According to the revised F-Gas Regulation, distributors must establish and maintain records of relevant information on the purchaser, including:

• Certification number of the purchaser

• Quantities of refrigerant purchased

These records must be kept for 5 years and made available upon request from a national authority or the European Commission.

For each sale, distributors will have to check the buyer’s certification number and record it together with the quantity of refrigerant purchased.

The flowchart below helps you to decide what type of refrigerant can be supplied to whom. Follow the flowchart when asking the customer for their credentials to see what gases are appropriate for supplying to them. MAC engineers cannot use certain gases in their systems and, therefore, have no legitimate reason for requesting them.

THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE PROOF OF F-GAS QUALIFICATION IS EITHER THROUGH THE PRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL F-GAS COMPANY CERTIFICATE, OR AN ACRIB SKILLCARD.

If you would like a pdf copy of this guide you can download it here.