By Roberto Martínez de Lafuente | Thermo Products specialist, SMC Spain
NOVEMBER 2024
All traditional refrigerants for use in industrial chillers have issues of concern, whether it’s high Global Warming Potential (GWP) or problems with flammability or toxicity. The regulatory bodies are all over this issue, looking to protect the environment by making it difficult for you to continue using traditional refrigerants. But there’s good news: by working hard on this challenge for the past few years, SMC will shortly unveil an industry-changing solution.
Refrigerant gas allows the refrigeration circuit inside chillers to function and, through correct management, guarantees its performance. The refrigerant’s task is to cool process fluid using its characteristic properties, with other chiller components serving to dispose of the heat. Refrigerant-type chillers are popular across industry for the proven technology, for their fast cooling and ability to provide very low temperatures. If there’s one drawback, it’s the refrigerant gas itself.
Stepping on the gas
The pertinent reference text regarding the use of industrial refrigerants is the F-gas Regulation. With this regulation, the EU is looking to achieve another milestone in its European Green Deal, driving the continent closer to attaining its 55% emissions reduction target for 2030 and its 2050 climate neutrality goal.
The F-gas Regulation will ban refrigerants with a GWP of more than 150 in chillers of 12 kW cooling capacity or less. This limit is much stricter than comparable regulations in the US, which set out GWPs in 750. Perhaps even more frightening, the F-gas regulation enters force on 1 January 2027, which means you need to start thinking about a new chiller strategy now.
Fortunately, our team of experts here at SMC has already thought extensively about this issue. A few years back, our initial response was to start introducing R454C refrigerant solutions. The GWP of R454C is 148 making it a perfectly legal chiller refrigerant post 1 January 2027. We can already offer a chiller solution that exploits the benefits of this refrigerant, with a rack-type chiller about to follow.
However, what if we wanted to improve further on this offer? After all, R454C is flammable, albeit in a low flammability category. We also need to think about future regulations and the distinct possibility that GWP limits will tighten further. And last but not least, many companies are already striving for zero-impact, non-polluting operations, and thus require appropriate solutions now.
CO2 breakthrough
In tandem with our R454C chiller solutions, SMC challenged itself to come up with a non-flammable refrigerant solution that carries a GWP of less than or equal to 1. The outcome? Chillers using CO2 as the refrigerant.
The GWP of CO2 is 1. Also worthy of note: CO2 is non-flammable and non-toxic.
The use of CO2 as a refrigerant gas involves a completely new design of chiller featuring a number of technology innovations, SMC have a chiller range that takes advantage of CO2 gas and its ultra-low GWP, with the existing HRZC series that was introduced in September 2024. We will continue to cover the entire range, ensuring the availability of futureproof choices well ahead of the F-gas Regulation becoming a legal requirement.
SMC´s Non F-Gas (CO2 Refrigerant) Refrigerated Thermo-chiller – HRZC Series
The path chosen by SMC Corporation allows us to respond to the most stringent limitations in Europe in terms of GWP and those of the US regulatory timescales in a single step. We can do this without adopting R513a gas as an intermediate solution. Although R513a satisfies US requirements, it will not be usable in Europe from January 2027 due to its refrigerant exceeding 150 GWP.
Supporting you and the planet
The F-gas Regulation is very r eal and extremely close. If you need advice on what it means for your chillers, both existing and new, we can provide the necessary support. SMC is across this issue, investing during the last years researching and developing solutions that will comply with the F-gas Regulation in January 2027 – and any subsequent regulatory iterations further down the road. Because we always feel a huge responsibility to provide our customers with answers to industry challenges. Rest assured, SMC is not about to fail you, or the planet.
