F-gases and ozone-depleting substances

Some common F-gases and their GWP values ​​are listed in the table below. Most of the substances are used as refrigerants, some also as extinguishing agents or propellants, for example. There are a large number of different mixtures and more are being developed. 

*R = refrigerant, code XYZ: X = the number of carbon atoms – 1, Y = the number of hydrogen atoms + 1, Z = number of fluorine atoms, R-400- mixtures, R-700- inorganic compounds. 

**GWP-value is a Global Warming Potential index, that describes the climate warming effect of a substance compared to CO₂, which has a  GWP = 1. GWP-values are based on the estimates of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In the EU's F-gas regulation and the Kigali amendment of the Montreal Protocol, the GWP values ​​of the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4, IPCC 2007) are used, and they are applied in e.g. legislative restrictions. The values ​​in the table are AR4 GWP_100-values, i.e. they describe the warming effect over a period of one hundred years.

Leak checks need to be performed at regular intervals for equipment that contains F-gases such as stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning, heat pump and fire protection equipment, refrigeration units of refrigerated trucks and trailers, electrical switchgear and organic Rankine cycles (ORC) (exception see article 4 (1))

Inspect leak detection system once a year

Equipment containing F-gases in quantities of 500 t CO₂ -eq. or more need to be provided with a leakage detection system which alerts the operator or a service company of any leakage. 500 t CO₂-q. is for example approx. 349 kg of R-134a and approx. 127 kg of R-404A. 

Keep records of maintenance and leak checks

Records need to contain the following information

• the quantity and type of F-gas in the equipment (kg and CO₂-eq.)
• the quantity of added or recovered f-gases
• data on whether the installed F-gases have been recycled or reclaimed, including the name and address of the recycling or reclamation facility 
• the results of the checks carried out and the identity and certificate number of the undertaking performing the task
• if the equipment was decommissioned, the measures taken to recover and dispose of the F-gases

The equipment or the maintenance book must have a record stating when the device was last inspected (e.g. maintenance sticker). 

The record must be shown to authorities upon request. The device owner and the maintenance company must keep the records for at least five years.

Equipment containing ozone-depleting substances 

Refrigeration and air conditioning equipment containing substances that deplete the ozone layer may be used, but no refrigerant may be added to them in case of leakage or breakage. If such a device contains at least 3 kg of refrigerant, it must be regularly checked for leaks. Equipment containing 3 to 30 kg of refrigerant must be inspected every 12 months, equipment containing at least 30 kg every 6 months and equipment containing at least 300 kg must have an automatic leak detection system and must be inspected every 6 months.

The correct labelling of refrigerant bottle

• Gas bottle approval mark. π -symbol, identification number of the inspection body and date of manufacture. More information from tukes.fi/en
• Information about the F-gases contained in the product in finnish and swedish. The name of the gas, the amount (kg and CO₂-eq.) and GWP-value. More information: F-gas Regulation and Regulation on labelling.  
• Warning labels regarding the transport of hazardous substances. More information: tukes.fi/en and markings and warning labels. 
• Gas bottle inspection stamp (VAK). More information: tukes.fi/en.
• The UN number (VAK) of the hazardous substance and its shipping name. More information: tukes.fi/en and markings and warning labels.
• Warning label according to the CLP -Regulation. More information: tukes.fi/en 
• The name and address of the product manufacturer must be in the container, packaging or product document, and when importing from outside the EU, also the name and address of the importer.
• The labelling must be permanent. 

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Labeling of equipment containing refrigerant

• Information about the F-gases contained in the product in finnish and swedish. The name of the gas, the amount (kg and CO₂-eq.) and GWP-value. More information: F-gas Regulation and Regulation on labelling.  
• The name and address of the product manufacturer must be in the container, packaging or product document, and when importing from outside the EU, also the name and address of the importer.
• The labelling must be permanent. 

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When selling F-gas refrigerants for installation and maintenance activities, you must: 

• ensure that the buyer is in Tukes' qualification register 
• keep records of sales (including the number of the person's or company's qualification certificate). The record must be shown to the authority upon request. 

Qualifications are not required for F-gases:

• for buying for resale (e.g. wholesalers),
• to sell,
• for collection, transport and delivery.

Refrigerants must be handled carefully and deliberate emissions into the atmosphere are prohibited.

F-gases may only be sold in refillable containers and their return for refilling must be arranged. The containers must have the correct labeling.

When selling devices containing F -gases, that require installation at the place of use (assembly of the refrigerant circuit):

• You must ensure and keep records that the installation is carried out by an entity on Tukes' qualification register. 
• the recommendation is to sell the device to consumers together with a qualified installation. 

HFC, CFC and HCFC compounds as heat transfer agents or solvents in equipment, as well as halons in fire extinguishing equipment, must be recovered and delivered to be utilized or treated as waste in the manner required by the Waste Act, when the equipment is taken out of use or when the compounds are removed from the equipment during maintenance. HFC compounds can be regenerated in a company that has an environmental permit. 

The full-time employee of a waste management operator must have a responsible person with technical training or basic training as a waste station operator. The person in charge must be familiar with the type of equipment to be handled, the equipment needed for work and the correct working methods, as well as health, safety and environmental protection obligations.

HFC-, CFC and HCFC-compounds;

• as cooling agents, solvents, foam propellants in class 14 06 01*
• in electrical and electronic equipment  (e.g. refrigerators and freezers) in categories 16 02 11* (equipment used professionally) and 20 01 23* (household equipment)
• in building insulations in class 17 06 03* (including CFC or HCFC compounds) or 17 06 04 (including HFC compounds)
• as laboratory chemicals in categories 16 05 06* and 14 06 02*
• in the insulation of decommissioned vehicles (including refrigerated transport) in class 16 01 21*

Halons

• in pressure packages and containers containing dangerous substances in class 16 05 04*
• Tetrachloromethane and 1,1,1-trichloroethane
• as a laboratory chemical in class 16 05 04*
• other halogenated solvents and solvent mixtures in class 14 06 02*

Methyl bromide

• agricultural chemical waste containing hazardous substances in category 02 01 08

Packages

• empty packaging of or contaminated by substances that deplete the ozone layer in class 15 01 10*

It is prohibited to place the products listed below on the EU market. These bans apply to new products and devices and do not affect products or devices already in use. More information about other bans that have already entered into force can be found from F-gas Regulation Annex III.

• Non-refillable containers for fluorinated greenhouse gases used to service, maintain or fill refrigeration, air-conditioning or heat-pump equipment, fire protection systems or switchgear, or for use as solvents
• One-component foams, except when required to meet national safety standards, that contain fluorinated greenhouse gases with GWP of 150 or more
• Fire protection equipment, that contain HFC-23
• Technical aerosols that contain HFCs with GWP of 150 or more, except when required to meet national safety standards or when used for medical applications 
• Refrigerators and freezers for commercial use (hermetically sealed equipment), that contain HFCs with GWP of 150 or more 
• Stationary refrigeration equipment, that contains HFCs with GWP of 2 500 or more except equipment intended for application designed to cool products to temperatures below – 50 °C
• Multipack centralised refrigeration systems for commercial use with a rated capacity of 40 kW or more that contain F-gases with GWP of 150 or more, except in the primary refrigerant circuit of cascade systems where fluorinated greenhouse gases with a GWP of less than 1 500 may be used 
• Movable room air-conditioning equipment (hermetically sealed equipment which is movable between rooms by the end user) that contain HFCs with GWP of 150 or more
• Single split air-conditioning systems containing less than 3 kg of F-gases, that contain F-gases with GWP of 750 or more (e.g. heat pumps)- prohibited from 1.1.2025 
• Extruded polystyrene (XPS) that contain HFCs with GWP of 150 or more except when required to meet national safety standards
• Other foams that contain HFCs with GWP of 150 or more except when required to meet national safety standards - prohibited from 1.1.2023

National defense supplies are outside the prohibitions. 

F-gases with a GWP of 2500 or more in service or maintenance of refrigeration equipment with a charge size of 40 tCO₂ eq. or more is prohibited. Among the most common substances in use, the maintenance ban applies to e.g. refrigerators containing R-404A (GWP=3922) with a filling of at least 10.2 kg. 

The ban does not apply to reclaimed or recycled F-gases until 31.12.2029 or to applications designed to cool products to - 50 ºC. 

The maintenance ban should be taken into account when planning future equipment purchases. In the case of old devices, the service life and condition of the device as well as the purpose of use affect the solutions. Acquiring a new device or changing the refrigerant in an existing installation can be justified, for example, to improve energy efficiency. Professionals in the field are there to clarify the options for each device.

In order to protect the ozone layer the manufacturing, import, placing on the market, use and export of ozone-depleting substances and products that contain them is generally prohibited in Finland. The restrictions are based on the Montreal Protocol, which is an international environmental agreement to which all countries in the world are committed.

• The restrictions apply to both new, regenerated or recycled ozone-depleting substances and products containing them.
• Existing refrigeration and air conditioning equipment may be used, but in case of leakage or breakage, refrigerant may not be added to them. 
• Equipment containing substances that deplete the ozone layer may not be exported. 
• CFC refrigerants must be treated as hazardous waste.

Fire extinguishing equipment containing halons

Halons have a strong ability to deplete the ozone layer. They may only be used for a few critical uses listed in Commission Regulation 744/2010 (certain military uses and aircraft use),  but dates have been set for prohibiting these uses also. 

• The use of halons in critical applications must be reported annually to the Finnish Environment Institute, which further reports to the EU Commission. 
• The import and export of halons for critical uses requires an electronic import or export permit from the EU Commission. For airlines, it is possible to report all imports and exports during the same calendar year with one application. 

Necessary laboratory and analysis uses

Substances that deplete the ozone layer may be imported and used for essential laboratory and analysis purposes. In this case, the registration and permit procedures according to the ozone regulation must be followed. Use can only be considered necessary if there are no technically or economically feasible alternatives or environmentally and health-acceptable substitutes available. The annex to Commission Regulation (EC) 291/2011 lists the uses considered necessary. The annex to the regulation also contains a list of uses that are not considered necessary. 

Instructions and additional information

• Commission instructions for companies
• Commission's ODS Licensing system 
• Commission's licensing system for laboratories labODS 

Registration and reporting obligation annually by 31.3.:

• Bulk export: exporting more than 100 t CO ₂ -eq. annually.
• Feedstock use: over 1 000 t CO ₂ -eq. of F-gases used as feedstock annually by 31.3. 
• Destruction:  when annual destruction of F-gases exceeds 1 t or 1 000 t CO ₂ -eq. 

Obligation to register:

• Each producer and importer that places on the market F-gases to be used in producing metered dose inhalers for the delivery of pharmaceutical ingredients, in military equipment or in the etching of semiconductor material or the cleaning of chemical vapour deposition chambers within the semiconductor manufacturing sector. 

To be added later