A-Gas Rapid Recovery Operations Manager, Jake Matthews, explains the importance of refrigerant recovery and reclamation.
A-Gas is playing a leading role in the Lifecycle Management of used refrigerants as the industry looks to reduce its carbon emissions and move away from high global warming potential (GWP) gases.
The recovery and reclamation of gases is a key pillar of Lifecycle Refrigerant Management (LRM). It is clear that reducing leakage and recovering existing refrigerants for future re-use, or destruction, has a far greater impact on our climate than the substitution of lower global warming potential refrigerants alone.
“You can be sure that the role of refrigerant recovery and re-use will grow in future. By safely recovering, reclaiming or repurposing the product that is already out there we are embracing the principles of the circular economy” says Jake Matthews.
This is the opposite to the take, make and dispose business model and by adopting these principles we are making better use of what we already have, and at the same time, making sure that these gases are not vented or leaked into the atmosphere. Reclaimed refrigerant can reduce raw material usage, energy consumption and unnecessary transport, normally associated with virgin production. Every time the product is recovered the circular cycle repeats.
You can be sure that the role of refrigerant recovery and re-use will grow in future. By safely recovering, reclaiming or repurposing the product that is already out there we are embracing the principles of the circular economy
Tools that make refrigerant recovery easier and quicken the process are valuable. The A-Gas Rapid Recovery, F-Gas compliant, on-site recovery service, is a good example of how having the right equipment can make a real difference when it matters.
A-Gas Rapid Recovery has a network of vehicles and engineers in place to give refrigeration contractors national coverage and this is available to go on site at short notice to handle jobs of all sizes.
The equipment can recover refrigerants up to ten times faster than the conventional recovery methods and the team take responsibility for all aspects of the recovery work – from start to finish.
Once recovered, refrigerant is returned to A-Gas for reprocessing through mechanisms such as filtering, drying and non-condensable gas removal to return it to the same quality as virgin refrigerant, in line with AHRI 700 specification.
The importance of conserving every kilogram of refrigerant should not be underestimated. As an industry we need to do all we can to ensure no kilogram of refrigerant, once produced, is released into the atmosphere.
A-Gas is proud to support customers on their journey to net-zero. Our dedicated Towards Zero, Together campaign puts net-zero at the top of our agenda. We are aiming to become a net-zero group of companies by 2035 with an early target of reducing baseline emissions by 50 per cent by or before 2028.
Towards Zero, Together encompasses three key areas – our dedication to stay safe, providing superior quality to customers and protecting our environment by preventing emissions to the atmosphere. We are engaging meaningfully with our talented people, looking at our processes and seeing how they can be materially improved to become best practices. We believe that together with our customers we can lower the carbon footprint of this industry and help build a more sustainable world for us all.
