Producing and supplying fluids: F-gas controls
If you manufacture, import, export or supply fluids containing fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) you must comply with a number of obligations.
What you must do
Key F-gas obligations
If you import F-gases into Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) you must:
- Hold a valid F-gas quota or acquire authorisations from a quota holder
- Report activities annually to the Environment Agency
for information on recording and reporting F-gas production or import/export see the following GOV.UK Pages:
GOV.UK Record and report f-gas and equipment pre-charged with f-gas
In Northern Ireland:
If you produce, or import into or export out of the European Union, more than 1 tonne or 100 tonnes of CO2 equivalent of F-gas per year, you must:
- Report to the European Commission before 31 March each year, using a standard template
- Submit a copy of this report to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
HFC Registry: Guidance on how to register PDF
F-Gas registry – Standard reporting template (sign in required)
All F-gases and products containing F-gases must be traded using the EU quota system.
HFC Registry: How to make a quota transfer
Labelling containers
You must label F-gas containers 'placed on the market' showing the type and quantity of fluid. Labels must show the:
- text 'contains fluorinated greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol'
- abbreviated chemical names of the F-gases contained
- the charge size
- the CO2 equivalent of the charge
- the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the f-gas contained
- text 'hermetically sealed' where applicable.
Labels must be:
- clearly legible
- in English
- securely fixed in a visible place
Removal and handling of residual F-gas
Any fluid retained in a container must be removed by appropriately qualified personnel at the end of the container's life. Disposal must ensure gases are reclaimed, recycled or destroyed.
Make sure you are properly qualified
Anyone carrying out F-gas handling, servicing, or recovery (including contractors and subcontractors) must be properly qualified with certification recognised in the UK or EU, depending on location.
- Your business must not take delivery of F-gases unless personnel carrying out the recovery or handling are appropriately qualified
- The person accepting physical delivery does not need a qualification unless they also perform recovery work
Non-refillable containers
Use of non-refillable containers for transporting or storing F-gas is banned.
Labelling
If you manufacture or supply chemical substances you must comply with the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures (CLP) Regulation.