Foodservice equipment wins F-gas exemption
19th December 2024
EUROPE: The foodservice industry has obtained a temporary exemption to a January 1 ban on certain self-contained refrigeration equipment under the new European F-gas regulations.
The new EU F-gas regulation 2024/573 imposes a ban on self-contained refrigeration equipment, except chillers, that contains F-gases with a GWP of 150 or more from January 1 2025.
The ban would include high GWP refrigerants like R452A, a non-flammable blend with a GWP of 2140, which is currently commonly used in a wide range of commercial foodservice refrigeration.
The UK’s Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) has been working with its European partners in the European Federation of Catering Equipment Manufacturers (EFCEM) to lobby EU legislators to exempt certain critical equipment from the new regulations.
The manufacturers argue that there is currently a lack of compatible components and technology that can work with alternative refrigerants. The temporary exemption will allow manufacturers time to develop new technology and alternative refrigerants.
The exemption means that equipment with a GWP of 150 or more can continue to be sold until the 30 June 2026, provided they are labelled pursuant to Article 12(2) of Regulation (EU) 2024/573.
The exemption applies to:
Ice makers with a production capacity from 200 to 2000kg per 24 hours;
Blast cabinets with a load capacity between 25 to 100kg;
Retarder prover cabinets with an absorbed power between 1kW and 2kW;
Chilled trolleys with a rated power input from 1.5 kW to 10.5 kW;
Frozen drink dispensers or ice cream dispensers with a capacity greater than 3 litres;
Artisanal gelato makers with a cooling capacity greater than 2kW.
“FEA fully supports the aims of the new regulations, but certain types of refrigeration equipment present big challenges when it comes to replacing refrigerants without compromising on standards of quality and safety,” commented FEA technical and policy director Andy Threlfall.
“The exemption that we and our partners have managed to secure ensures that equipment that is vital to many parts of the foodservice sector can remain available while alternatives are developed.
“We hope that manufacturers take full advantage of this period of grace to evolve their equipment and find alternatives that comply with the F-gas regulations by 2026.”
