Virgin R404A refrigerant being sold as reclaimed
4th April 2025
POLAND: A Polish refrigerant reclamation business has warned of high GWP gases like R404A being passed off as reclaimed material in breach of the European F-gas regulations.
Under the European F-gas regulation 2024/573, it is prohibited to service stationary refrigeration equipment with virgin or non-reclaimed refrigerants with GWP greater than 2500. This includes such commonly previously used refrigerants such as R404A, R507A and R422D.
Reclaimed refrigerant can still be used until 2030 for servicing existing equipment but these must have been reclaimed in accordance with applicable regulations.
PROZON Foundation, the only entity in Poland performing the reclamation of fluorinated greenhouse gases, has warned that these high GWP refrigerants are appearing on the market that have not been subjected to appropriate processing and do not meet quality standards. Their use is prohibited and is subject to criminal liability and administrative fines.
In addition to the negative impact on the environment, PROZON warns of the possibility of damage to the system, a decrease in energy efficiency and a threat to the health and safety of people operating and servicing the equipment.
PROZON advises that legitimate reclaimed material carries a quality certificate in accordance with the F-gas regulation and include the name and address of the EU-located authorised remanufacturing facility, batch number of the regenerated agent and quality specification in accordance with AHRI 700 standard, as well as a legible signature and stamp.
