Honeywell has announced that
it has entered into a supply agreement and technology license with an Indian
manufacturer to produce Honeywell Solstice yf, an automobile refrigerant with a
global warming potential of less than 1.
According to a press release, Honeywell will license its proprietary
process technologies to produce the refrigerant to Navin Fluorine International
Limited (NFIL), which will manufacture Solstice yf in India exclusively for
Honeywell. Small-scale production is expected to begin by the end of 2016.
This agreement is in line with
Honeywell’s commitment to meet growing demand through a robust global supply
infrastructure. Honeywell and its key suppliers are investing approximately
$300 million to increase global production capacity for Solstice yf, including
the construction of a new, world-scale manufacturing plant using new process
technology at the company’s existing Geismar, La., refrigerants manufacturing
site.
“More than 8 million cars on
the road today safely use Solstice yf. That number is expected to grow to more
than 18 million cars by the end of 2016. This agreement reflects our commitment
to delivering the supply chain reliability and security that customers can rely
upon as they transition to next-generation products that are safe to use,
available today and capable of making a significant positive environmental
impact,” said Ken Gayer, vice president and general manager of Honeywell
Fluorine Products. “Honeywell’s supply agreement with NFIL, one of India’s
largest manufacturers of specialty fluorochemicals, represents a first step in
our commercial relationship that will help us to meet growing global demand for
Solstice yf,” said Gayer.
Solstice yf, also known as
HFO-1234yf, is a next-generation hydrofluoro-olefin (HFO) refrigerant that is a
near drop-in replacement for R-134a, a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) with a global
warming potential (GWP) of 1,300, for use in in vehicle air conditioning
systems globally. Solstice yf is also being used in a growing number of
stationary air conditioning and commercial refrigeration applications. The
demand for Solstice yf for use in mobile air conditioning is increasing rapidly
due to increased global environmental regulations and policies aimed at
reducing the global warming impacts of HFCs. These include:
• The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency has approved Solstice yf for use as a low-global-warming
replacement for R-134a, which is banned in mobile air conditioning systems in
new passenger cars and light-duty trucks starting in model year 2021.
• Automakers in the U.S. are
also adopting Solstice yf to help comply with Corporate Average Fuel Economy
(CAFE) standards and vehicle greenhouse gas standards, which aim to improve the
average fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with cars
and light trucks.
• The MAC directive in the
European Union is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions of
air-conditioning systems in passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The
directive requires that refrigerants in all new vehicle types sold in Europe
after Jan. 1, 2013 have a GWP below 150, and that all cars sold in Europe after
2017 must meet the new GWP requirement of less than 150.
Solstice yf is part of a
family of stationary, commercial and mobile refrigerants, liquid and gaseous
blowing agents, solvents and propellants based on Honeywell’s
hydrofluoro-olefin technology, which helps customers lower their carbon
footprint without sacrificing end-product performance. Honeywell and its
suppliers are in the middle of a $900 million investment program in R&D and
new capacity to produce next-generation refrigerants, insulation materials,
aerosols and solvents, which have global warming potentials equal to or better
than carbon dioxide and at least 99 percent lower than most technologies used
today.
Source: Honeywell