EPA finalized SNAP Rule 25 and proposed SNAP Rule 26, both of which allow the use of A2L refrigerants in some new air conditioning and refrigeration equipment.
Ultra-low GWP refrigerants are already available for commercial refrigeration equipment, but A2Ls have yet to be approved. Until that happens, it may be awhile before low- and medium-temperature A2L equipment becomes widely available.
The regulatory landscape for refrigerants used in chillers has become more complicated, thanks to the court decision that declared the EPA is not authorized to regulate HFC refrigerants under the Clean Air Act.
According to a summary from AHRI, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a decision to vacate the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA’s) Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Rule 21 last month in response to a lawsuit brought by Mexichem Fluor and Arkema, with Chemours and Honeywell joining the case on the side of the EPA.
In October, the Supreme Court decided not to review the case, leaving in place the 2017 ruling, which means for now, the use of high-GWP refrigerants, such as R-404A and R-410A, remains legal.
To recap, earlier this year, refrigerant manufacturers, Honeywell and Chemours, asked the Supreme Court to review an August 2017 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which stated the EPA could not ban HFCs through its Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program, because that program was designed only to address ozone-depleting substances. While HFCs are among the greenhouse gases suspected of contributing to climate change, they do not deplete the ozone layer.
As rink owners look to shift away from R-22 — a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) that is widely used in ice rinks across the U.S. and Canada — they face the challenge of selecting an alternative refrigerant that delivers equivalent capacity and proven performance but without disrupting rink operations. New production of R-22 will cease at the end of 2019.
Earlier this year, refrigerant manufacturers, Honeywell and Chemours, asked the Supreme Court to review an August 2017 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which stated the EPA could not ban HFCs through its Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program, because that program was designed only to address ozone-depleting substances.