TABLE OF CONTENTS

National Policies: Leaders, Followers & Laggards
Besides the European Union level, individual Member
States have set ambitious targets to either phase out
HFCs and/or promote natural refrigerants directly. At the
other end of the spectrum, some national rules continue
to pose a major hurdle for the NR industry, due to inappropriate
charge restrictions or system bans. The following
provides just a glimpse of three countries – 1 leader,
1 follower and 1 laggard in the field of natural refrigerants
– with different approaches to a natural refrigerants
market uptake.
Denmark
Denmark has in place a combination of measures enabling
a transition to natural refrigerants: Bans on all HFC
uses except for applications with refrigerant charge between
150g and 10kg (Statutory Order no. 552 of 2 July
2002 governing fluorinated greenhouse gases); and Taxation
of f-gases at €20/tCO 2
eq (Consolidated Act No. 208
of 22 March 2001 on tax on certain ozone layer depleting
substances and certain greenhouse gases) administered
by the Danish tax authorities (SKAT). The tax act levies a
green tax on the import of fluorinated greenhouse gases,
to be paid to the Danish Government. The tax on industrial
greenhouse gases is differentiated: the gases with
the greatest impact on climate are subject to the highest
tax level, with a tax level in 2011 set at about €17.5/kg
for R134a and €50.7/kg for R404A. The HFC tax is repaid
when products containing HFCs are exported. A country
where stricter than the EU-wide minimum requirements
regarding f-gases are in place, Denmark has seen two
main trends regarding f-gases: 1) A more or less steady
decline in imports of HFCs to Denmark, since the peak in
1998; and 2) overall f-gas emissions in decline.
The result for NR: The ban has been the main driver explaining
the fast growth in market uptake of for example
commercial refrigeration systems running on natural
refrigerants in Denmark. The main HFC-free refrigerants
in use in Denmark are CO 2
for supermarkets (see p.56),
hydrocarbons for commercial refrigeration plug in cabinets
and domestic refrigerators/freezers, ammonia for
industrial refrigeration, as well as ammonia and hydrocarbons
but also water for chillers.
Germany
Germany’s initiatives beyond the F-Gas Regulation, include
projects supported under the National Climate Initiative
(NCI) and the International Climate Initiative (ICI),
funding for R&D and pilot projects related to the use of
halogen-free substances, the promotional programme
for climate protection measures in the field of commercial
refrigeration and the German Refrigeration Award
that has so far recognised several HVAC&R natural refrigerant
products.
The National Climate Initiative, in particular, is supporting
investment in more efficient and innovative technologies
by the German industry. One example is the
Climate Protection Incentive Programme for commercial
refrigeration systems, which seeks to reap the potential
for savings in costs, energy and CO 2
emissions by employing
the technologies available on the market. Since
2009, the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control
(BAFA) has deployed this programme in two areas:
1) the refurbishment of existing refrigeration plants that
have an annual energy consumption of at least 150,000
kWh and potential savings of at least 35% to be gained
through using more efficient components and systems;
and 2) the construction of new units with an annual energy
consumption of at least 100,000 kWh based on exclusive
use of natural refrigerants, such as ammonia (NH 3
),
carbon dioxide (CO 2
) or propane. In 2010, BAFA granted
authorisation for 204 plants, disbursed grants for net investment
costs to the value of 10,177 million euros and
52