World News

Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World

UK News

Latest news and developments in the United Kingdom

Products

Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology

Features

General articles, applications and industry analysis

US EPA pledges $15m for HFC reclaim projects

USA: The US Environmental Protection Agency has announced $15m in funding for five projects seeking innovative ways to tackle the destruction and reclamation of HFCs.

The recipients will receive the HFC Reclaim and Innovative Destruction grants – range from $1,500,000 to $3,801,100 – from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

The selectees for this grant program are The University of Washington, Texas A&M University, Drexel University, University of California-Riverside, and the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Technology Institute.

“This diverse set of projects will tackle the destruction and reclamation of HFCs in innovative ways to help protect our climate and bolster American technologies,” said Joe Goffman, assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation.

These projects will help facilitate the phase down of HFCs under the AIM Act by helping increase the amount of HFCs that can be reclaimed and reused in the economy and by developing innovative techniques to destroy unusable HFCs, ensuring they do not contribute to climate change.

Selected Grant Applicants

The University of Washington’s project will evaluate and demonstrate a novel way to destroy HFCs via alkaline hydrolysis. The project aims to reduce the pollution emissions associated with HFC destruction since it does not release hydrogen fluoride or gaseous carbon dioxide.

Texas A&M University’s project aims to reduce the time and cost of reclaiming HFCs by designing and testing a technology capable of separating a range of HFC mixtures. It also intends to incorporate a data-driven decision framework for reverse logistics with high supply chain visibility that includes quality, cost efficiency, changing market dynamics, stakeholder collaboration, safety, and environmental regulation. 

The project intends to achieve a 30% increase in reclaimed HFC and at least a 25% reduction in cost from the baseline operation.

The aims of Philadelphia’s Drexel University project is to develop a portable and energy efficient HFC destruction device by integrating liquid injection incinerator and non-thermal gliding arc plasma, which will provide refrigerant reclamation companies with an on-site treatment option for the reduction of HFC emissions. 

University of California – Riverside’s project aims to develop scalable catalytic and assisting technologies for efficient HFC destruction, which would create a competitive and cost-effective integrated destruction system. The project intends to contribute to climate change mitigation and sustainable practices in disadvantaged communities by advancing an innovative and replicable HFC destruction technique through pilot scale demonstration.

The Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Technology Institute is developing a pilot project to chemically convert and destroy mixed HFCs back into components for new commercial use. This zero-emission technique would thereby create value from the destruction process, while also lowering the costs and energy required to destroy HFCs compared to conventional incineration methods. 

Latest News

20th October 2025

Beijer Ref takes majority stake in Baltic distributor

SWEDEN/ESTONIA: Beijer Ref has signed an agreement to acquire 80% of the shares in Airwave, a leading HVAC distributor in the Baltic markets.
19th October 2025

Simplified evaporator control panels

DENMARK: Danfoss has launched Cool Ctrl, a new range of evaporator control panels that are said to greatly simplify design, installation, and commissioning for contractors and system integrators.
19th October 2025

Heat pump factory wins sustainability award

POLAND: Daikin’s new Polish factory has won an award from the Polish Green Building Council (PLGBC) for its building design and incorporation of various ecological technologies.
18th October 2025

Mobile refrigeration to be honoured on dollar coin

USA: Mobile Refrigeration and the pioneering efforts of Minneapolis-based company Thermo King are to be honoured on a new $1 coin to be released by the US Mint.
17th October 2025

Central African Republic approves Kigali

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: The latest country to officially approve the Kigali Amendment to phase down HFCs is the Central African Republic.
17th October 2025

Euro heat pump sales show slight increase

BELGIUM: The European heat pump market is showing a slight yet uneven recovery this year, according to new statistics from the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA).