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Owners must act now to reduce compliance costs of 2020 refrigerant rules

THE cost of refrigerants and regulatory compliance in the next five years may well become the big expenses faced by ship operators, says one British supplier.

"Compared to the outlawed R22 refrigerant, which cost around US$3/kg, new refrigerants, such as R404a, can be as much as $25/kg," said Oceanic Technical Solutions managing director Robert Chesters.

These new costs relate to coming European Union rules on sulphur emissions, said the Liverpool-area company's CEO.

"If shipowners fail to make their plants gas-tight, they could face refrigerant cost increases of up to 20 per cent when stringent EU regulations on fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-Gas) enter in to force in 2020," he said.

From now until 2030 there will be a phased reduction of the amount of virgin ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HFC) placed onto the market.

But this is likely to be dwarfed by the cost of the next generation hydrocarbon-type refrigerants manufacturers are developing to meet the new requirements," he said.

"With a typical air conditioning (AC) plant aboard an LNG carrier needing a refrigerant charge of 600 kilogrammes, refrigerant costs could escalate if the plant is not efficiently maintained.

The important thing to remember is that refrigerant is not a consumable in the way fuel or lubricating oil are. It should not need to be replaced.

This means regular leak testing and preventative maintenance measures are keys to cost savings.

"But if refrigerant loss is not dealt with the cost of compliance will far outweigh the amount owners are currently paying for refrigerant," said Mr Chesters.

Oceanic Technical Solutions was established in December 2014 to provide refrigeration service, inspection, compressor overhauls, spare parts and refrigerant retrofits to all vessels.