Act now if you R22 survive
16 Mar 2010
A ban on the use of the virgin HCFC gas as of 1 January 2010, and recycled gas from 2015, has created a real headache for many in the process industries, writes Nick Morley
Process companies need to understand what is required and develop effective strategies to deal with the phase-out
On the face of it, the switchover from R22 gas to a legal, ’environmentally-friendly’ alternative sounds simple. In reality, companies dealing with the ban are facing major issues due to a lack of new replacement equipment, such as coolers, and a hike in the price of replacement gasses.
There are three options open to processing companies when it comes to keeping on the right side of the new ozone and F-gas regulations: EC 2037/2000 and EC842/2006, respectively.
The first is to replace the whole plant or substantial elements of the process, and utilise the latest technology to improve efficiency and minimise the quantities of HFCs used to replace the R22 system. The obvious issues with this option are the significant capital cost and the timescale to implement such a plan.
The second, more popular, option is to modify existing plant to use a new refrigerant in place of R22. This is usually a quick and relatively inexpensive option that fits in with service schedules. However, using ’drop-in’ replacements can decrease plant efficiency, reduce cooling capability and cause reliability issues. Also, the existing plant age can mean this is only a stop-gap before newer equipment needs to be installed.
The third option is to do nothing, using the existing plant with recycled HCFCs. While this appears to be the preference for many process engineers, it is simply delaying the inevitable until the end of 2014. In the meantime, businesses could suffer a dip in plant efficiency, as well as difficulties in getting hold of replacement gasses.
For engineers that have not yet grasped the nettle and formulated a strategy to deal with the phasing out of R22, time is short
Availability of recycled R22 has fallen in recent months due to an unsurprising spike in demand. This has led to the cost more than tripling between 2009 and 2010 - a trend that is likely to continue.
Whatever course of action engineers take to deal with the R22 issue, careful planning is vital for a smooth transition from one refrigerant to another. Reduced plant efficiencies, less effective cooling systems and unplanned downtime could all be scenarios created by poor planning surrounding the phase-out of R22.
Planning should take account of all the options and address issues such as contingency planning, availability of replacement gases, new equipment, seals and valves. Process engineers should also consider temporary cooling as a stop-gap while a more permanent solution is implemented.
This approach can also be part of the wider solution during the re-gas process or during warmer summer periods when a top-up kW facility can be used to maintain ambient temperatures.
For engineers that have not yet grasped the nettle and formulated a strategy to deal with the phasing out of R22, time is short. DEFRA, the government body, will soon be tightening its grip on businesses that have not complied, leading potentially to court cases, fines and inevitable poor publicity for those that fail to meet the new regulations.
The R22 phase-out should not be seen as another painful enforcement of bureaucracy from Brussels, but an opportunity to review current temperature control processes. If they have not already done so, process-related businesses should now fully assess all of the options available, even undertaking efficiency studies using various equipment to develop an understanding of the best refrigerant for their plant.
Those that have not yet acted on R22 need to do so urgently. But rushing ahead with a poorly planned strategy that does not include contingencies to deal with likely real-life issues could create further problems. Informed, experienced and unbiased advice is needed to steer process companies through this change.
