03 December 2024
Annex 54 Country Report: Sweden
Research on natural refrigerants has been ongoing in Sweden for more than 20 years. Several conclusions have been drawn concerning the use of these refrigerants, and some of the older projects have been summarized in this report, along with the recent studies.
Generally, it is concluded that a low charge of refrigerant should always be an important design goal for any heat pump, independent of the type of refrigerant. Low GWP refrigerants are almost always flammable and low charge then reduces the risks. Synthetic refrigerants with low or high GWP, have environmental concerns, and the charge should be reduced for this reason. It should be clear that low charge can and should be reached without compromising efficiency. This can be reached by carefully selecting the components and the system design. The new European F-gas regulation (and the international Kigali amendment to the Montreal protocol) will force a phase-out (in Europe) or phase-down (internationally) of HFC refrigerants. Natural refrigerants like hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, and ammonia can and will take over the largest market share for all types of products, with few exceptions. Synthetic HFO refrigerants may keep some niche markets. These fluids are low-GWP but are flammable and may be restricted as they are, with some exceptions, PFAS substances with possible negative effects on the environment and human health.