Operational Guide · Registers & Logbooks

# Refrigeration Plant

The refrigeration plant protects provisions and perishable cargo, but is also one of the onboard systems most exposed to strict international regulation on greenhouse-effect refrigerants.

refrigeration HFC Kigali Amendment F-gas

## Operational Explanation

The onboard refrigeration plant maintains the temperature of provision stores (meat, fish, vegetables, typically between -10°C and -15°C for frozen goods and 7-10°C for well-ventilated produce) and, on container or reefer ships, feeds the plugs for refrigerated containers: prolonged malfunction compromises not only crew comfort but, for cargo, significant commercial value.

The most relevant regulatory issue in recent years concerns fluorinated refrigerants (HFCs): the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (in force since 1 January 2019) imposes an international phase-down of HFC production and consumption, with developed countries progressively reducing by up to 85% by 2036. At EU level, the new F-gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573 prescribes an even faster HFC phase-down than the previous Regulation 517/2014, aiming for a near-complete phase-out by 2050, applicable also to ships flying an EU flag.

## Regulatory Reference

Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (in force since 1 January 2019); EU F-gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573 (replacing the previous Regulation 517/2014), applicable to ships flying the flag of an EU Member State; Class requirements for the construction and maintenance of onboard refrigeration plants.

## Scope of Application

Every ship fitted with a refrigeration plant for provisions and, where applicable, for cargo (reefer containers, refrigerated holds), with particular relevance of the F-gas regulatory framework for ships flying the flag of an EU Member State.

## Procedure / How to Complete It

1. Identify the type of refrigerant used in the onboard plant and its Global Warming Potential (GWP), verifying compliance with the applicable regulatory framework (Kigali/F-gas).
2. Systematically record every recharge or intervention on the refrigeration plant, including the quantity of refrigerant used, for the traceability required under the F-gas framework.
3. Periodically verify the absence of refrigerant leaks, with particular attention to high-GWP refrigerants subject to servicing restrictions.
4. Plan in advance the transition to low-GWP refrigerants during extraordinary maintenance or plant revamping.
5. Keep compliance documentation (refrigerant log, certifications of personnel authorized to handle F-gases) available for inspection.

## Practical Example

Example of management: an onboard refrigeration plant still using a high-GWP refrigerant is subjected to a transition plan towards a low-GWP alternative at the next scheduled extraordinary maintenance, anticipating the servicing restrictions envisaged by the F-gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573 for subsequent years.

## Real Cases

Servicing of plants with high-GWP refrigerants (above 2,500), such as R-404A and R-507, was already subject to a specific ban from 1 January 2020 under the previous F-gas Regulation (517/2014): Companies that had not planned the transition in time found themselves having to manage emergency interventions to source refrigerant no longer available for servicing.

## Common Mistakes Mistake Library

Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it
--- | --- | ---
No advance planning of the transition to low-GWP refrigerants before regulatory deadlines | Difficulty sourcing refrigerant for maintenance interventions close to the deadlines | Plan the transition well ahead of known regulatory deadlines
Incomplete recording of refrigerant recharges and their quantities | Inability to demonstrate the traceability required under the F-gas framework in the event of a check | Systematically record every intervention on the plant with the quantity of refrigerant used
Refrigerant leaks not detected promptly due to lack of periodic checks | Non-compliant emissions and the need for repeated recharges | Periodically verify the absence of leaks, not only in the event of an evident malfunction

## PSC Observations

The subject is not typically subject to direct PSC verification, but falls within the general environmental assessments for ships flying the flag of EU Member States, where the F-gas framework is fully applicable.

## Operational Tips

- Plan the transition to low-GWP refrigerants well in advance, don't wait for imminent regulatory deadlines.
- Systematically record every refrigerant recharge with its quantity, for the traceability required under the F-gas framework.
- Periodically verify the absence of refrigerant leaks, not only in the event of an evident plant malfunction.

## Checklist

- Refrigerant type and related GWP identified and verified for compliance
- Log of recharges and interventions on the refrigeration plant kept up to date
- Absence of refrigerant leaks verified periodically
- Transition plan to low-GWP refrigerants planned in advance
- F-gas compliance documentation available for inspection

## FAQ

What is the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol?
An amendment signed in October 2016, in force since 1 January 2019, which adds HFCs to the list of substances controlled by the Protocol, imposing an international phase-down of their production and consumption, with developed countries reducing by up to 85% by 2036.
What changes with the new F-gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573?
It prescribes a faster HFC phase-down than the previous Regulation 517/2014, aiming for a near-complete phase-out by 2050, applicable also to ships flying the flag of an EU Member State.
Which refrigerants were already subject to a servicing ban from 2020?
Refrigerants with a GWP above 2,500, such as R-404A, R-507 and R-422D, under the previous F-gas Regulation (517/2014), could no longer be used for servicing existing plants from 1 January 2020.
🎬 Additional photos, videos and interactive diagrams for this topic will be available in a future version of the platform.

## Related Topics

Reefer Container Monitoring Purifiers and Separators

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