Back ground
The revised F-Gas Law in Japan that entered into force in April 2015 introduced new policy measures to limit the use of fluorinated refrigerants at each step of the manufacturing and use of fluorocarbons as well as products using them.
Against the backdrop of rapidly increasing emissions of fluorocarbons with high global warming potential, the Japanese government expanded the scope of f-gas measures from the previous focus on the recovery and destruction to the whole life cycle, including f-gas manufacturing, maintenance and leak checking, promotion of low-GWP / non-fluorocarbon refrigerants in designated products, as well as destruction and recycling.
Measures to the whole lifecycle of F-gas
Specifically, the regulatory measures encourage entities involved in each process of the life cycle to carry out the following:
1. Entities that manufacture and import fluorocarbons: to reduce environmental impact through technology development and manufacturing of fluorocarbons with lower global warming impact, and the recycling of set amounts of used fluorocarbons.
2. Entities that manufacture and import products using fluorocarbons (for so-called ‘designated products’ - see further below): to change from products using fluorocarbons, such as freezer showcases, to either fluorocarbon-free products or products using fluorocarbons with low global warming impact, by certain target years depending on the product category.
3. Users that manage commercial air conditioning and refrigeration units: to properly manage such units in order to prevent the leakage of fluorocarbons through proper installation and inspection, as well as the repair of damaged units. Moreover, certain users are required to submit an annual report on the amount of fluorocarbons leaked, and the data is compiled and disclosed by the Government of Japan.
4. Proper filling of air conditioning and refrigeration units with fluorocarbons and proper recycling of used fluorocarbons: The revised Law introduced a registration system for entities that fill commercial air conditioning and refrigeration units with fluorocarbons, as well as a permission system for entities that recycle fluorocarbons.
GWP targets for ‘designated products’
Instead of imposing restrictions on the use of high GWP refrigerants in certain applications like is the case in other regions (e.g. EU F-Gas Regulation), the Japanese law sets GWP targets per product group, which each manufacturer needs to reach by a certain target year.
The GWP targets are set for the sectors of highest environmental impact where it has been proven that non-fluorinated refrigerants or other low-GWP substances are commercially available and energy efficient. Weighted average GWP values of entire production and imports are taken into account to measure compliance by manufacturers.
Voices of forerunners
- 1. Considering adoption of Natural Refrigerant Equipment
- 2. Assessing the befits
- 3. Overseeing problems in installation
- 4. Going further
- 5. Advices for other companies
