The Council of the European Union adopted the revised F-gas regulation on 29 January 2024, after what the Heat Pumping Technologies programme describes as a long period of discussions, negotiations and trialogues1. The regulation phases down fluorinated gases (F-gases), which cause global warming and are used in heat pumps, air-conditioners, fridges and some medicines1. The vote closes the adoption procedure1.
Under the new rules, consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) will be completely phased out by 2050, and production rights allocated by the Commission to produce HFCs will be phased down to a minimum of 15 per cent as of 20361. Both production and consumption will be phased down on a tight schedule with a degressive quota allocation1.
The regulation also sets dates for the complete phase-out of F-gases in air conditioning, heat pumps and switchgear, and earlier prohibitions on placing products and equipment on the market if they contain F-gases with a global warming potential (GWP) above 1501. For all new prohibitions, higher GWP F-gases can still be used where safety restrictions at the place of use require it1.
| Equipment | Date |
|---|---|
| Small monoblock heat pumps and air conditioning (<12kW) | 2032 |
| Split air conditioning and heat pumps | 2035, with earlier deadlines for certain split systems with higher GWP |
| Plug-in room, monoblock and other self-contained units ≤ 50 kW | 2027 (from 2030 no F-gases in units ≤ 12 kW) |
| Other self-contained units > 50 kW | 2030 |
| Split systems, air-to-water ≤ 12 kW | 2027 (from 2035 no F-gases) |
| Split systems, air-to-air ≤ 12 kW | 2029 (from 2035 no F-gases) |
For split systems above 12 kW, the GWP limit will be 750 from 2029 and 150 from 20331. A full ban on placing products and equipment containing HFCs on the market applies to several categories assessed as technologically and economically feasible to switch to alternatives, including certain domestic refrigerators, chillers, foams and aerosols1.
"On January 29, after a long period of discussions, negotiations and trialogues, the Council of the European Union adopted the revised F-gas regulation to phase down fluorinated gases (F-gases) that cause global warming."
F-gas emissions represent 2.5 per cent of the EU's total greenhouse gas emissions, and doubled between 1990 and 2014, in contrast to other greenhouse gas emissions1. The effects of F-gases on global warming are up to several hundred thousand times stronger than CO21.
Why it matters for households
The rules govern what refrigerant a new heat pump may contain, and from when. A household buying a heat pump in the EU will increasingly be offered equipment using low-GWP refrigerants rather than F-gases, with the timing depending on the type and size of system, as set out above. The regulation does not ban existing installed equipment; the dates concern placing products and equipment on the market1. Many of the replacement refrigerants are flammable, which is why the HPT TCP collaboration includes work on safety measures for flammable refrigerants, alongside a project on heat pump systems with low-GWP refrigerants running since 20191. The F-gas rules and refrigerant types determine what a system contains and how it is serviced. Further regulation and policy developments affect the wider framework around home heating.
What happens next
The regulations will now be signed by the Council and the European Parliament, then published in the EU's Official Journal, entering into force 20 days later1. No date for publication has been reported.
Sources1 cited
- Final Adoption of the Revised European F-gas Regulation - HPT - Heat Pumping Technologies, heatpumpingtechnologies.org