Supermarket receives credit for HFC transition
27th April 2016
USA: Hannaford Supermarkets has partnered with EOS Climate as the first company to use carbon credits in its transition away from HFCs.
This is the first project completed by EOS Climate to generate carbon credits or Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) from the reclamation and re-use of HFC refrigerants. EOS authored the methodology, approved by the American Carbon Registry, to support global goals to limit HFC refrigerants from reaching the atmosphere.
“EOS Climate has a long history of bringing together experts in refrigerants, supply chain management, environmental policy, technology and environmental commodities to create market-based solutions to climate challenges,” said Joe Madden, CEO of EOS. EOS also originated the successful protocol (ISO 14064-2) for the destruction of ozone depleting substances ultimately adopted by the California Air Resources Board Compliance Offset Programme.
The HFC credits provide a new option for companies who use large commercial refrigeration equipment to take immediate action on HFC emissions while transitioning equipment to lower GWP alternatives. Hannaford Supermarkets, a buyer participating in this first project, plans to test how the VERs enhance their transition plans and differentiate the company as an environmental leader.
“Reclaimed HFC VERs are a promising instrument to assist our efforts to mitigate HFC emissions from our refrigeration equipment while phase down plans are completed,” said Harrison Horning, director of energy and facilities for Hannaford Supermarkets.
Credits created from this methodology represent carbon emission reductions from the displacement of virgin HFCs with reclaimed and reused HFCs. For this first-in-kind project, recovered HFCs were purified at Hudson Technologies back to virgin-grade standards and sold into the US refrigerant aftermarket for reuse.
Demand for the credits is seen to provide an economic incentive for refrigerant reclaimers to recover and reclaim HFCs, preventing new HFC production and eventual emissions to the atmosphere.
