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R22 regulation information

 CFCs, which were industrialized in the U.S. in 1930s, are excellent in performance as a refrigerant, and are chemically stable and harmless to human. This has led to the extension of the usage.
 However, it was reported that CFCs deplete the ozone layer in the stratosphere, leading to the 1985 adoption of the “Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.”
 Furthermore, an official report was made in 1985 that an ozone hole appeared over the Antarctic, leading to the adoption of the “Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer” and the ongoing global movement to reduce the production (elimination of CFCs; HCFC (R22) was added later).

*Ozone layer depletion by CFCs

Ozone layer depletion by CFCs

*Regulations on HCFC (R22)

 In response to the international treaties for ozone layer protection, the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol, Japan enacted the Act for Protection of the Ozone Layer through Regulation of Designated Substances, etc. (Ozone Layer Protection Law) in 1988. Measures to reduce R22 have been taken accordingly, setting standard limits on the production and consumption.

Standard limits on production and consumption of R22 in Japan (reduction schedule) as of March 2012

Regulations on HCFC (R22)

The production and consumption are calculated as follows.

Production
= Yearly production of each restricted substance × Ozone layer depletion potential (ODP)
Consumption
= Production + Import - Export
Import
= Yearly import of each restricted substance × Ozone layer depletion potential (ODP)
Export
= Yearly export of each restricted substance × Ozone layer depletion potential (ODP)

Note that the above restrictions are “tap regulations” that ban the manufacture and do not cover the substances that are already in the field as a refrigerant, etc. This means that “stocked products in the field” and “the products recovered from the field” are not covered and are allowed to be continually used regardless of the above schedule.

Transition of production and consumption of HCFC (R22)

Transition of production and consumption of HCFC (R22)

From 2020, the production and import will be totally banned!!



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