The Chemours Company has announced its strong support for calls by the automotive industry to extend the transition timeline for F-Gases in mobile air conditioning applications.
The chemical company has joined a long list of industry groups that have made submissions seeking an extension under the proposed European Union PFAS restriction.
Earlier this year the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) began seeking feedback on the PFAS restriction proposal and is expected to deliver a final opinion by the end of this year.
The opinion will be formally submitted to the European Commission for a final vote by member states.
Industry groups seeking a minimum 13-year transition timeline for light-duty electric vehicles, and 20-years for all other vehicle types include the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) and the German Association of the Automotive Industry.
The organisations claim there is no drop-in replacement for the current MAC refrigerant, R-1234yf.
Chemours president of thermal & specialised solutions, Joseph Martinko, said the broader automotive value chain need a practical, science-based transition timeline for automotive air conditioning.
"The reality is that next-generation refrigerant solutions must be developed, validated, integrated, and scaled before they can be deployed responsibly,” Martinko said.
“For context, the last refrigerant transition from R-134a to R-1234yf, which was a near drop-in replacement, took more than 15 years to achieve. A minimum 13-year derogation reflects the reality of such a complex transition."
Currently, only two non-PFAS refrigerants, propane (R-290) and CO₂ (R-744), are being evaluated for MAC applications.
Industry submissions identify significant barriers that prevent either option from serving as a near-term drop-in replacement for R-1234yf.
For example, propane (R-290) presents significant safety and regulatory barriers for MAC applications due to its high flammability and restrictions in key markets, including the US requiring new system designs, safety controls, validation protocols, and manufacturing adaptations before broad deployment would be feasible.
Secondly, CO₂ (R-744) systems require substantially different architectures and higher-pressure components, particularly in warm climates, which can increase energy consumption, reduce vehicle range, and add cost and complexity to vehicle design, according to the German Association of the Automotive Industry.
“Together, these technical, safety, regulatory, and manufacturing considerations demonstrate that the industry requires an extended transition period aligned with automotive design, validation, and production cycles,” Chemours said in a statement.
The automotive value chain has also identified practical measures that can be advanced during the derogation period to further reduce emissions.
The MAC Technical Working Group report released earlier this year found that progressive emission-control measures, including maximum leak rates, mandatory inspection, and refrigerant recovery, can reduce annual emissions by up to 60%.