MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Honeywell announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Genetron® R-245fa as a replacement for a variety of ozone-depleting refrigerants used in air conditioning and refrigeration for both new and retrofit applications. The notification is part of the EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy, or SNAP, which reviews and approves products used to replace ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) chemicals.

Until recently, R-245fa, a non-ozone-depleting hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), was only SNAP-approved for use in new low-pressure centrifugal chillers in the United States. The new approval means R-245fa can be used in a broader range of new air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, as well as to retrofit existing equipment currently using CFC and HCFC refrigerants so that owners can comply with the phaseout of ozone-depleting substances. The product has been used successfully for a variety of applications outside the United States, says the company.

"We are committed to providing equipment manufacturers and service companies viable alternatives as the phaseout of ozone-depleting substances continues worldwide," said Jeremy Steinfink, Honeywell's global business director for fluorocarbons. "This approval again demonstrates our position as a global leader in environmentally friendlier HFC technology and the development and production of high-performance refrigerants."