Food and drink manufacturers are struggling with F-gas compliance, according to new research from Aggreko.
What are F-gases?
F‑gases (fluorinated gases) are greenhouse gases used in a range of industrial applications, including cooling equipment.
Although F-gases are not ‘ozone depleting’, they are powerful greenhouse gases with a ‘Global Warming Potential’ (GWP) that can be up to 22,800 times higher than carbon dioxide. In 2023, they accounted for 1.83% of greenhouse gas emissions across the UK.
These gases fall into four groups: hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). HFCs are the most common type, representing around 90% of all F-gases used.
The F-gas regulation
The F-gas regulation sets out a phasedown of HFCs, capping and progressively reducing the total amount placed on the market in Great Britain for the first time, from production and imports.
However, new proposals indicate intentions to go much further than the current 2030 target (79% cut). These plans would see the UK looking to achieve an almost full phase-out of HFCs by 2048 – a 98.6% reduction compared to 2015 levels – with changes introduced from 2027.
Why is this causing issues?
While no new product bans or changes to leak-checking and recovery requirements are currently included, the accelerated timeline will dramatically influence refrigerant availability, especially those of products with a GWP above 1000, making the transition to low-GWP alternatives essential for future installations.
The Aggreko research, which surveyed 334 manufacturing plant managers responsible for cooling processes at companies with a turnover of at least £50 million, found that 94% of UK manufacturers believe F-gas legislation will moderately or majorly impact their ability to maintain and upgrade cooling equipment
Knowledge gaps, a lack of understanding, availability of alternative solutions, and the cost of new solutions were all cited as major barriers to meeting the new F-gas timeline.
“Manufacturers are facing an extremely challenging set of circumstances,” Chris Smith, head of temperature control at Aggreko UK, said. “On one hand, they’re working with ageing cooling equipment that is increasingly prone to failure, but on the other they’re being asked to meet increasingly rigorous environmental legislation.
“It is crucial that this equipment is upgraded to meet these legislative requirements, and site managers need further support and information to implement these changes effectively.
“We are acutely aware of these challenges and commissioned Temperate Check to further analyse an often-overlooked area of the production process. In this, the impact of F-gas legislation stood out as a major talking point. The F-gas timeline is entering a decisive phase in which sharper and faster reductions could be required, and site decisionmakers require greater clarity over equipment compliance if they are to transition in good order.”
These findings form part of wider mounting concerns over sustainable production, with 97% of those surveyed saying they are facing challenges in upgrading cooling equipment to meet stricter environmental regulations.
What can manufacturers do?
Against this backdrop, Aggreko is highlighting the importance of exploring alternative equipment procurement strategies to adhere to environmental legislation while improving operational efficiency and reducing unplanned downtime. For example, temporary cooling systems can allow manufacturers to trial different configurations of equipment without capital expenditure restrictions while also providing flexibility to respond to seasonal peaks in production demand.