Reuse fluorinated greenhouse gases ultimate wastes towards EU circular economy through an innovative fluorinated gas distillation system

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

Fluorinated gases (F-gases) are used in several types of products and appliances, mainly as substitutes for the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and halons that are being phased out under the Montreal Protocol and EU legislation. However, F-gases are powerful greenhouse gases (GHG), with a Global Warming Power (GWP) up to 23 000 times that of carbon dioxide (CO₂), and their emissions are rising strongly. To mitigate this environmental issue, one solution is the diversification of molecules and the complexification of mixtures including several types of molecules (HFC/HFO/HC/CO₂). This has reduced the climatic impact of refrigerants; however, it also greatly complicates the process for recovery and treatment for the reuse of gases. For instance, some gases, such as the new generation of HFOs (i.e. compounds formed from hydrogen, fluoride and carbon), have good environmental properties characterised by very low GWP with performance and safety characteristics similar to hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), but their complexity leads to a recycling issue. The climatic impact of the production of these gases makes it necessary to save this resource and deploy recovery techniques for F-gas waste reuse. In addition to environmental concerns, Europe's supply of F-gases is also a strategic issue. Despite a constant need for refrigerants (both synthetic and natural), European refrigerant production has been continuously falling since 2007, and it has been estimated that about 80% of European demand is met by imports. The supply of HFCs is central in many strategic industries (e.g. agri-food, health, military), therefore, the possibility of re-entering the market through recycled F-gases appears as one solution towards the independence of the European supply. However, to this day, almost none of those gases is reused. A new innovative recycling technology is therefore necessary to apply a circular economy to this sector, to reduce the production of F-gases, and to push forward a sustainable management of F-gas emissions.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the LIFE@F-Gases project is to validate at industrial scale a new technique for separating, by distillation, the molecules composing F-gases, thereby introducing the principle of circular economy for gases that are not reusable today. This innovative and circular solution will enable the reduction of GHG emissions of up to 923 711 t CO₂ eq. during the project compared to the current situation; and up to 2.26 Mt CO₂ eq./year in the three years after the project, taking into account the project’s expected replication and the scalability of its technological solution. The aim is, by 2026, for 15.6% of the volume usually incinerated in Europe to be recovered by distillation and re-circulated.

 

RESULTS

Expected results:

• To reach, at the end of the project, a nominal capacity enabling the avoidance of up to 1.63 Mt CO₂ eq./year of F-gases emissions, thanks to the innovative distillation process of the project.
• To reach a yield of 80% on the targeted substances by the end of the project, enabling a capacity of reuse of 384 tons/year, among which 234 tons are today not reusable.
• To increase by 1.4% the volume of waste quantities reused in Europe, thanks to the reuse during the project of 190 tons of gases coming from the distillation process – hence reducing the production of F-gas and reinforcing the independence of the EU.
• Results disseminated to stakeholders (industry and public authorities) and a contribution to the European Commission‘s work on the revision of the F-gas Regulation.
• Validation of the business model associated with this technology, in order to initiate a replication strategy of the project in Europe and beyond.