AUSTRALIAN CITY POINTS TO NATURAL REFRIGERANTS IN NEW HVAC&R EQUIPMENT

Parramatta City, Australia, has become the country’s first local government area (LGA) to require all new air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment to use refrigerants with a GWP of less than 10.

Through the city’s Development Control Plan (DCP), which came into effect in December 2022, synthetic refrigerants are effectively banned, with the majority of demand to be met by natural refrigerants like CO2 (R744), hydrocarbons and ammonia (R717).

“Synthetic refrigerant gases commonly used in air-conditioning systems have a very high GWP, [and] leakage or the improper disposal of refrigerant can be a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Parramatta City Council in its DCP. “Natural refrigerants generally have a much lower GWP, [and] using natural refrigerants will reduce the impact of the emissions from air-conditioning systems.”

“Natural refrigerants generally have a much lower GWP, 

[and] using natural refrigerants will reduce the impact of the emissions from air-conditioning systems.”

Parramatta City Council