Interpretation of the EU PFAS Restriction Proposal and Its Impact on R&AC Industry

Driven by the compliance of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer and the "carbon peak and carbon neutrality" strategy, refrigerant substitution has become one of the most important hot spots in the R&AC (refrigeration and air conditioning) field. Using low-GWP HFO refrigerants, which have similar thermal properties to natural refrigerants, as alternatives to achieve phase-down of HFCs, represents an appropriate replacement technology. However, with the announcement of the EU's PFAS restriction proposal in February 2023, some concerns regarding the future of HFOs have emerged, which could affect global refrigerant substitution development. Therefore, this study introduces PFASs and analyzes their relationship with fluorinated refrigerants. We then interpret the formation and key contents of the proposed PFAS law. Finally, this paper summarizes the views of different fields on this issue to provide discernment and reference values for the formulation of future refrigerant substitution programs.