Technology
R290 Natural Refrigerant
A lower-GWP refrigerant that's built for where F-Gas quotas are heading
What it is
R290 is propane used as a refrigerant — a natural hydrocarbon with a Global Warming Potential of 3, against the hundreds or low thousands typical of the HFCs it's replacing. It isn't new technology; it's been standard in domestic and light commercial units for years, and it's now scaling up into supermarket-grade systems as HFC quotas tighten.
Why it matters
The UK and EU F-Gas Regulation phases down HFC refrigerant availability on a fixed quota schedule, and the reduction steepens each year. Specifying HFC-based equipment now means specifying a system that gets harder — and more expensive — to service as the quota shrinks. R290 and CO2 (R744) are the two realistic long-term alternatives, and R290 tends to run more efficiently than CO2 at typical UK ambient temperatures.
Benefits
- Smaller refrigerant charge per circuit, which keeps running costs down
- Strong energy efficiency at real UK operating temperatures, not just lab conditions
- Straightforward end-of-life disposal compared with synthetic refrigerant blends
- Refrigerant cost isn't tied to a shrinking HFC quota market