Honeywell has entered into a supply agreement with a Chinese manufacturer to produce Honeywell Solstice^® yf (HFO-1234yf), further extending its global supply base for this low-global warming potential (GWP) hydrofluoroolefin refrigerant. 

Under a multi-year agreement, Juhua Corp. will manufacture Solstice yf in China for Honeywell, and Honeywell will market and sell the product to customers in the United States and Europe. Production is expected to begin by the end of 2016. According to Honeywell, in addition to helping to meet worldwide demand, production in China can help support the future adoption of Solstice yf in the region. The additional production will complement capacity currently being built by Honeywell in the U.S.

Honeywell says Solstice yf, with a GWP of less than 1, is a near drop-in replacement for R-134a, a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) with a GWP of 1,300. R-134a has been widely used as a refrigerant in automobiles and mobile applications, but Honeywell said Solstice yf is also being used in a growing number of stationary air conditioning and commercial refrigeration applications.

“Honeywell’s investments, and that of its partners, will ensure that customers will have a reliable supply of this groundbreaking, environmentally preferable technology that is safely cooling more than 8 million cars worldwide,” said Ken Gayer, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Fluorine Products. “This agreement with Juhua will ensure supply to meet growing global demand as well as to help support future adoption of low-global warming potential products in China in response to concerns about increasing global greenhouse gas emissions.”

Honeywell said the agreement is in line with the company’s commitment to meet growing demand through a robust and diversified global supply infrastructure. According to Honeywell, the company and its suppliers are investing approximately $300 million to increase global production capacity for Solstice yf, including the construction of a new, world-scale manufacturing plant using new process technology at the company’s existing Geismar, Louisiana, refrigerants manufacturing site.