The refrigerant transition has been looming over the industry in the region for several years. It is only now that the fog has begun to lighten, with specific implications taking shape.

In a significant development, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the UAE, aside from Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, have ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. The remaining countries in the region will have to follow suit shortly. The Kigali Amendment is a legally binding agreement, designed to create rights and obligations in international law; and thus, it is not a question of ‘if’ but in what way the phase down of fluorinated refrigerants will take place.

The UAE has recently published a Climate Law (Federal Decree Law 11/2024), which will be effective from May 30, 2025, and which commands “using alternatives to saturated fluorocarbons”. The transition, thus, has become mandatory, and it is crucial for all stakeholders to fully understand implications on their future operations. In addition to regulatory developments within the region, it is helpful to consider the global situation.

With China, India, Japan, Korea, Turkey, the European Union and the United States of America, every key production hub for air conditioning equipment has already ratified the Kigali Amendment and implemented specific steps to phase down HFCs, resulting in a strong surge of A2L and natural refrigerants. The European Union has even imposed restrictions on the export of equipment with refrigerants not complying with its rigid GWP limits from 2027 onwards. The global trend will significantly reduce the availability of products based on HFCs with higher GWP in the years to come.

From a technical point of view, the transition towards mildly flammable and natural refrigerants is possible and is being exercised already in many countries. Even with the higher ambient temperatures in the Middle East, such a transition can be made, provided basic safety standards are followed. However, this is currently the biggest bottleneck for the region: The technology is ready, the people aren’t.

With higher risks associated with A2L and A3 refrigerants, the education, training and qualification of personnel – starting from design engineers to service technicians – constitute a key factor, one that is notoriously missing among the workforce in the region. But the situation also presents a unique opportunity. The industry estimates that between 50% and 70% of the refrigerants placed in the market are either leaked or intentionally vented into the atmosphere.

This is not only a blatant waste of resources, but it also hugely inflates the region’s carbon emissions and, at the same time, causes air conditioning equipment to run in overdrive to compensate lost refrigerant loads, in itself resulting in higher energy bills and a faster degradation of HVACR systems. Minimising leakages and putting an end to venting thus harbours some significant saving opportunities. Not only will countries’ carbon emissions reduce substantially, freeing up precious carbon credits, but they will also reduce operational costs drastically in them, if HVACR systems are installed and maintained with better skills.

The reasons for leakages and venting

The underlying cause for the high leakage rates and venting of refrigerants is availability and low price. No one in the industry is yet encouraged to put more care in the handling of such gases. However, this availability will be reduced once the phase down commences, and prices will hike accordingly. This will also support the introduction of reclamation facilities to avoid the loss of refrigerants; such facilities will be of high demand for servicing existing installations.

Leakages also occur owing to untrained, unskilled workers. Refrigerants escape during brazing and installation processes. Further, the absence of protocols for leak detection and commissioning also lead to leakages. With rising prices for refrigerants, the aforementioned reasons will surely come under more scrutiny, but we must also ensure that we intervene with certain requirements ahead of time, as handling alternatives requires strict adherence to quality and safety standards. It is time now to start upskilling the workforce and to ready the business for the future.

Aspects of time

The timeline will be a relevant factor. The transition will happen gradually over a long period of time. The first step is scheduled for 2032, with a 10% reduction of HFCs allowed into the market. This provides the industry enough time to adjust and prepare. But stakeholders must be aware that it is also easy to run out of time if they ignore the facts. Waiting until 2032 to begin preparations will no doubt put businesses in dire straits. The truth of the matter, though, is that so far, the industry in the region is acting more reactively than proactively.

There are great business opportunities for those who understand what is about to happen and act accordingly in time, building up expertise and becoming leaders rather than followers. There is a noticeable increase in projects requesting alternative refrigerants already, as international consultancies and larger corporations seek to

reduce the carbon footprint of their projects. The need for specialised engineers and technicians is already on the rise.

The timeline provides ample room for government, industry and service providers to get ready. However, when taking into account how long certain measures will take to become effective, from developing the regulatory framework to qualifying the workforce, it is clear that everyone must start acting now. We are somewhat in a stalemate currently, where the industry is waiting for the government to impose, and where the government is waiting for guidance from the industry.

As industry association, we are always confronted with the question what happens next. Looking into the future and shaping it with recommendations and other initiatives is at the core of our mission. Together with our members, Eurovent Middle East is at the centre of the discussion and engaged with the region’s policy makers as well as with the United Nations Environment Programme to provide guidance to all stakeholders from the perspective of manufacturers and service providers.

The industry’s main concern is to pre-emptively reduce any pressure on the timeline with voluntary action, but it is also requesting governments to implement stepping stones, which will help in getting the whole process on the way. As there will never be a one-size-fits-all solution, the transition should already start, where it is relatively easy to do so. The more we shift the market away from HFCs ahead in time, the less pressure on timeline and quantities we will experience. Also, this will allow for a steady build-up of experience and knowledge.

With transition to A2L and A3 refrigerants, adherence to safety standards will be crucial. Therefore, governments are advised to include relevant international standards, like IEC 60335-2-40, IEC 60335-2-89 and EN 378 in all relevant regulations, especially product-related technical regulations and building codes.

We need to assess existing regulations for the lack of safety standards or prohibitive passages, which would exclude new technology for unjustified reasons.

Industry and government need to initiate an education and training campaign to upskill the workforce – including architects, engineers and service technicians – and qualify people to work with new refrigerants. Here, the timeline is crucial again, as it will take time to build up the necessary resources to train and qualify enough personnel for new refrigerants. But it is successfully being done elsewhere, and there should be no discussion that this can’t be done in the region. There is no other option, and it must commence immediately.

The need for a region-wide qualification and certification system for technicians is obvious. This can only be achieved with a harmonised approach by all members of the GCC region. Differing timelines, GWP limits, and declaration and certification requirements will stall the transition with dire consequences for businesses and the

whole industry. It also would put safety at risk, if we were confronted with varying or conflicting safety protocols across borders. Harmonisation of the transition throughout the GCC region, therefore, is a great concern to our members.

Eurovent Middle East has introduced its HVACR Leadership Academy to provide certified technical trainings for F-Gases and Alternatives as a first solution to the pending upskilling requirement and to create an ecosystem for education and training. Eurovent has also started to build up local trainers and assessors to slowly expand resources and the availability of trainings. The training programme is designed to serve as a blueprint for qualification requirements for governments and should provide a strong argument for harmonisation.

The refrigerant transition will bring about big changes, but it also provides great business opportunities for those who get on the train early and harbours an extensive energy-saving potential. The time to start the journey is now. We encourage all stakeholders to join our efforts as an association and stay ahead of developments. Details on our HVACR Leadership Academy can be found at our website www.eurovent.me. All businesses who want to prepare for the coming changes and build up the required competences, are encouraged to make use of our certified training courses.