The purpose of the EU’s revised F-gas regulation is to gradually reduce the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases. For Calefa, the transition to natural refrigerants is a consistent part of the company’s heat pump technology development.
According to the EU’s revised F-gas regulation (EU Regulation 2024/573), from 2030 onwards, new heat pumps over 50 kW must have a GWP value below 150. There will not be a complete ban on F-gases for industrial heat pumps; the use of synthetic refrigerants with a low GWP value will still be allowed in the future.
This change only applies to new heat pumps introduced to the market after 2030. Existing heat pumps may be used until the end of their lifecycle according to the new regulations.
Calefa is committed to developing environmentally friendly and energy-efficient solutions for industry and energy sectors. The ongoing product development project Industrial Heat Pump with Natural Refrigerants is finalizing the transition of industrial heat pumps towards natural refrigerants.
Industrial Heat Pump with Natural Refrigerants
The goal of Calefa’s development project is to transition to the use of natural refrigerants in industrial heat pumps by replacing current HFC and HFO refrigerants.
“Refrigerants consist of hydrocarbon chains of different lengths. Ultimately, it’s about rather small molecular-level changes. The less fluorine in the molecular chain, the more environmentally friendly the refrigerant is,” explains Calefa’s expert Antti Porkka.
For district heating applications, isobutane currently appears to be the best option among refrigerants.
For example, propane, a natural refrigerant used in heat pumps for buildings, is generally not suitable for Calefa’s heat pumps, as it cannot be compressed to produce hot enough temperatures for district heating networks.
The Natural Transition Does Not Affect the Operation of Heat Pump Plants
What changes will the transition to natural refrigerants bring to Calefa’s heat pump plants?
“Isobutane is highly flammable. Therefore, safety must be emphasized a bit more than before in the plants,” says Calefa’s expert Antti Porkka.
However, this is not a revolutionary change in heat pump technology. According to Porkka, it is more of a natural transition towards more environmentally friendly technology.
“In practice, the transition to natural refrigerants is part of a continuum where the aim has already been for a while to minimize fluorine in refrigerants,” he says.
The heat pumps themselves will look very similar in the future. Pressure levels will also remain at similar levels as before.
“The operation of heat pumps is not affected by the change of refrigerant. The compressor doesn’t know what refrigerant it is compressing,” Porkka illustrates.
Efficiency Throughout the Lifecycle
At Calefa, refrigerants for heat pumps have always been chosen from a techno-economic perspective so that the plants can be used efficiently throughout their entire lifecycle. This will continue to be the case.
“All district heating heat pump plants can operate until the end of their lifecycle. When their time is up, they can be renewed or updated. When the gas and compression are changed, it only requires a 10–20% investment compared to the investment in the plant itself,” Porkka says.
As an enthusiastic sportsman, he compares the transition to natural refrigerants to skiing.
“Skiing didn’t really change much when fluorinated lubricants were abandoned.”
Calefa’s Industrial Heat Pump with Natural Refrigerants product development project is co-financed by the European Union from the Renewing and Competent Finland 2021–2027 structural fund. Its goal is to transition to the use of natural refrigerants in industrial heat pumps by replacing current HFC and HFO refrigerants.
