The EU F-Gases Regulation (EC) No. 842/2006 (the EU F-Gases Regulation) were introduced to contain, prevent and reduce atmospheric emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol. These include:

• hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
• perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
• sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

As listed in annex 1 to the EU F-Gases Regulation, these gases are emitted from refrigeration systems, air-conditioning units, fire-protection systems, heat pumps and high voltage switchgear.

In December 2007 the EU formally issued supplementary regulations to the F-Gases Regulation on:

1. leakage checking standards for refrigeration systems, air-conditioning units and heat pumps
2. leakage checking standards for fire-protection systems
3. labelling requirements for all types of equipment

CLICK HERE to download the latest F Gas Guideline document relevent to the Offshore Industry

Environmental Protection (Controls on Ozone-Depleting Substances) Regulations 2011

The EU Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) Regulation (EC) No. 1005/2009 (EU ODS Regulation) was introduced in January 2010 to prohibit and control the production / use of ozone-depleting substances thereby reducing atmospheric emissions of these substances in line with the Montreal Protocol (an international agreement to combat the threat of damage posed to the ozone layer by ozone-depleting substances). In particular, the EU ODS Regulation concerns the control of emissions from refrigeration systems, air-conditioning units, fire-protection systems and heat pumps.

CLICK HERE to download the latest ODS Guideline document relevent to the Offshore Industry

Two of these obligations are:

A) Under Article 3(1) – prevent and repair as soon as possible detected leakages from all relevant equipment (regardless of F-gas levels contained therein) that are covered by the EU F-Gases Regulation.

(B) Under Article 3(2) – undertake periodic leakage inspections

Regulatory requirements on offshore Operators

We have highlighted some of the main topics covered by the regulations and listed them below:

Training and Assessment of HVAC Engineers
Mandatory Leak checking Requirements
Maintaining records and reporting
Monitoring and Annual reports to EEMS
Reporting unintentional emmissions
Labelling
Recovery of F Gases
Record maintenance template
Reporting form
How to calculate to CO2 equivalent of F Gas emissions
What will be assessed by DECC’s offshore inspectors

To find out more information, we highly recommend reading the document from DECC by clicking on the link below. Then simply contact us if you have any questions about how to implement the regulations into your company procedures.

http://tradewindsgroup.co.uk/F-Gas_guide.doc

If you have engineers that need to be assessed to show compliance under the new F Gas regulations then please contact us using the form below:

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We offer a complete range of ATEX Explosion proof air conditioning systems for offshore and hazardous installations.

Introduction

This External Wall Mounted Packaged Air Conditioners is robustly designed and constructed for use in the hazardous offshore, marine and petrochemical environment.

Our team of dedicated, highly skilled engineers and technicians use their extensive knowledge, experience and the latest 3D technology to continually develop and update our designs.

Materials and components are selected to provide resistance to corrosion, long service life and optimum reliability along with standardisation of common components across the range to ensure spare parts are always readily available at competitive prices.

If you would like further information on any of our ATEX Air Conditioning Systems then please don’t hesitate to contact us using the form below.

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So call us now on 0117 223 2079 for a free quote or use our contact form below.

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Our Project Supervisors can travel to any location around the world and manage the installation of your HVAC Systems. They will mediate between the client and sub-contractor to ensure the installation meets industry standards. Everything will be documented and communicated via regular site reports.

This key role can be vital to a smooth transition from the start-up phase to handover for operations. It’s important to have someone who can share their site knowledge and explain the lessons learned in the early stages of the project.

It is also important to have someone witness each stage of the installation. Pressure testing and pipework evacuation tests are critical to the performance of any Air Conditioning and Refrigeration system. If these are not performed correctly, there may be increased risk of system failure and also leaking refrigerant to atmosphere. It is a global HVAC industry requirement that anyone brazing refrigeration pipe-work and handling refrigerants are adequately trained and certified to industry standards. Our HVAC Supervisors can witness each phase of the installation and sign off when everything has been completed correctly.

1 & 2 Day Brazing Courses

For Engineers who need to demonstrate competence at brazing to British Refrigeration Association Standards. Two different course levels are available:
Level 2 – Up to 7/8″ Commercial Grade
Level 3 – Up to 1 3/8″ Industrial Grade

Whats covered?
Both courses cover similar content but use different pipe sizes during the practical element. The course starts with an introduction to Health & Safety which covers risk assessments, method statements and everything hazardous to the task you are about to undertake. We then move into the theory on the brazing process and how to make sure you work to BRA Standards and achieve 90% penetration on all joints. After that we move on to the practical sessions and have a practice run. You will be supervised at all times and shown the correct way to braze copper to copper and a variety of different materials. Then it’s on to the test piece and you are left to your own devices to prove your level of competence. Get 90% penetration on all joints and you will walk away with a BRA recognised certificate and a great big smile on your face. This is definitely a certificate to be proud of!

Who would want to do it?
More and more clients or insurance companies are demanding to see a certificate of competence for new installations. This is exactly the the certificate you will need to present to these clients and it can even go onto your SKILLcard as a recognised qualification. Even if it’s not for the client, this course is what should have been taught to engineers over the last decade. If you thought you could braze, just wait until you have finished this course!

What do you get for your money?
1 Full day of training, all materials, study guide and certificate. The smile is free!

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Day 2 – BS EN 378, Pressure Testing, Evacuation & Dehydration, Charging Zeotropic Refrigerants, Commissioning, Recovery, Practical Demonstration and equipment familiarization

Day 3 – Practical & Online Examinations

What’s covered?

Once you are booked on the course, you will receive a copy of our study guide. We highly recommend that you read this in detail and understand it’s principles, prior to attending the course. This will put you at the top of the class and make the course content a lot easier to understand.

Day 1 starts with an introduction and gets straight into the guts of a 4 hour theory session. We are going right back to basics. Starting with HSE, Regulations, the basic vapour compression cycle and pressure enthalpy charts. We then spend the afternoon covering brazing and safe working practices.

Day 2 and your itching to get on the rig. We understand, but there is more theory first. BSEN378, pressure testing, evacuation and dehydration. Charging with zeotropic refrigerants commissioning and recovery. You will be surprised how much you might have forgotten. Then its a practical session in the afternoon where we cover the assessment process and more safe working practices.

Day 3 exams. You love them really. You’ve been studying all night and your ready to go. The morning kicks off with with the online exams, so some of you will get extra time to study. But don’t worry. You will all get your turn. Then it’s practical assessments in the afternoon followed by a good solid handshake. Walking away with this qualification is something to be proud of.

Who wants to do it?

We all do. It’s a great course. You will be experienced in the industry and have already obtained a 2078 qualification.

What do you get for your money?

Course exams, self study booklet, sample questions and hopefully a fancy C&G 2079 Certificate.

The records must be able to identify each piece of equipment and include details about the quantity and type of F gas installed, any quantities of F gas added, the quantity of F gas recovered during servicing, maintenance and final disposal. The record should also identify the company or personnel who performed the servicing or maintenance, as well as the dates and where relevant results of leakage checks and leakage detection system checks.

We suggest you keep copies of records on site as they need to be made available on request to the regulator and to the European Commission.

F Gas Training Centre

We are proud to annouce that Tradewinds Engineering Ltd have been Approved by City & Guilds to deliver their courses and become a recognised training centre. We have undergone a stringent appraisal to ensure that our Management and Training Systems meet with their criteria and we are happy to know that they do.

City & Guilds 2079 – Level 2 Award In F Gas Regulations

If your an engineer working with refrigerants then you MUST obtain the new C&G 2079 qualification by July 2011. Don’t risk everything and miss the deadline.

So if you need to beat the deadline of July 2011, then book your training with us. CLICK THE LINK BELOW to find out how our MOBILE assessors can come to you and deliver the training in house.

F Gas Training

All operators of RAC systems that use refrigerants containing F gases, for example refrigerants R404A and R408A2, must comply with obligations in the EC F gas Regulation.
The actual obligations depend on the amount of refrigerant in each separate system. Two plants are considered to be separate if there is no interconnection between their refrigerant circuits (i.e. refrigerant cannot flow from one system to the other).

For all systems:

General obligation to prevent leakage
Using all measures which are technically feasible and do not entail disproportionate cost operators must: (a) prevent leakage of F gas refrigerants and (b) as soon as possible repair any detected leakage.

Regular leakage checking
Equipment containing 3 kg or more of F gas refrigerant must be checked for leakage by certified personnel on a regular basis. This threshold rises to 6 kg for hermetically sealed systems that are labelled.
“Checked for leakage” means that the equipment or system is examined for leakage using direct or indirect measuring methods, focusing on those parts of the equipment or system most likely to leak. The frequency of testing depends on the refrigerant charge and system type. Individual plants must be rechecked within one month after a leak has been repaired to ensure that the repair has been effective.
The threshold is 3 kg for most systems, but is increased to 6 kg for a “hermetically sealed system”. This is defined as: “a system in which all refrigerant containing parts are made tight by welding, brazing or a similar permanent connection which may include capped valves and capped service ports that allow proper repair or disposal and which have a tested leakage rate of less than 3 grams per year under a pressure of at least a quarter of the maximum allowable pressure”.
Leak Testing Frequencies
Annual – 3 kg to 30 kg
6-monthly – 30 kg to 300 kg
Quarterly – Greater than 300 kg

Automatic leak detection systems
Equipment with 300 kg or more of F gases must be fitted with a leakage detection system, which is defined as:
“a calibrated mechanical, electrical or electronic device for detecting leakage…which, on detection, alerts the operator”.
The detection system must be checked at least once a year to ensure proper functioning.
For any equipment fitted with a leakage detection system (including those below the mandatory 300 kg threshold), the frequency of leak checking can be halved, although an annual check remains the minimum frequency.

Maintaining records
Records must be kept on each system with more than 3 kg of HFC refrigerant. The records must include:
♦ The quantity and type of F gas refrigerants installed in each system,
♦ Any quantities of refrigerant added,
♦ The quantity of refrigerant recovered during servicing, maintenance and final disposal.
♦ The identity of the company or personnel who performed the servicing or maintenance, as well as the dates and results of leakage checks and leakage detection system checks.

These records shall be made available on request to the competent authority and to the Commission.
Gas recovery
If refrigerant needs to be removed from a system (e.g. to gain access to part of a system for maintenance or during system decommissioning at the end of life) it must be properly recovered by appropriately certified personnel. After recovery the refrigerant can be reused or sent for reclamation or destruction. Recovered refrigerant is classified as Hazardous Waste and comes under the UK Hazardous Waste Regulations. Waste producers have a “duty of care” for the waste they handle and must ensure they use the appropriate documentation and consign and transfer waste appropriately. More information is available from the Environment Agency or SEPA.

Use of appropriately trained personnel; Personnel and Company Certification
Personnel carrying out leak checking, gas recovery, plant installation, maintenance or servicing on equipment that contains or is designed to contain F gas refrigerant must have an appropriate qualification.
Businesses that handle F gases for the purpose of installation, maintenance or servicing of RAC equipment need to hold a company certificate. Defra has designated three Company Certification bodies. Other certification bodies may be appointed at a later date. The certification bodies are – Bureau Veritas, Quidos and Refcom.
To take delivery of containers of F gas, for the activities described above, an organisation needs to employ appropriately certificated personnel.

Labelling
Any new system placed on the market must be fitted with a label adjacent to the service point clearly stating the type and quantity of HFC refrigerant used. Where personnel add F gases to equipment outside the manufacturing site, the label should indicate the total quantity of F gases contained. In addition instruction manuals that come with the products/equipment need to contain information on the type of F gas contained and its global warming potential. See RAC 6 for more details about labelling.

Non-refillable containers
The use of non-refillable containers for transporting or storing F gas refrigerants is banned. Placing on the market of non-refillable containers used to service equipment was banned from July 2007, except for those shown to be manufactured (i.e. filled with refrigerant) before July 4th 2007.