Environment Ministry Orders Incineration of High GWP HFC -23

Environment Ministry Orders Incineration of High GWP HFC -23
India has decided to take a stand on incineration of the HFC-23 gas, which is created as a byproduct in the manufacture of HCFC-22 gas. The HFC-23 gas is a very potent greenhouse gas and increases the global warming. The HFC-23 gas has a global warming potential of 14800 if it is allowed to escape into our environment, which is often the case. Even the HCFC-22 producers in the developed world don’t handle the HFC-23 gas in a professional manner and release it into the environment.

India has thus taken a lead in steering the negotiations on amendment in Montreal Protocol for amendment for phase down of HFCs at Kigali, Rwanda. The Minister for MoEF&CC ( Environment, Forest and Climate Change), Shri Anil Madhav Dave, has given the go-ahead for releasing the order for incinerating the HFC–23 by producers of HCFC–22 gas. Shri Dave clarified that companies have to internalize the cost of this environmental externality and create sufficient storage facility to take care of down time and run the incinerators to ensure and not release of HFC–23 in the atmosphere. This is a major break away from the concept of financial assistance for every action on environment

Even with the complete phase-out of HCFCs for usage as refrigerants under the Montreal Protocol, its production will continue for feedstock purposes. This production for feedstock purpose will reach 1 million tonnes at its peak, ensuring the incineration of HFC – 23 being produced as by-product will ensure an avoidance of more than 444 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent globally.
It is said that during the discussions on amendment to the Montreal Protocol, other countries will be made aware about India’s order on HFC-23 gas and hopefully other Governments and producers of HCFC- 22 in both, developed and developing countries will be motivated to emulate this practice.

It is now hard for the teams from the countries which are producers of HCFC–22 to negotiate for funding from the Multilateral Fund (MLF), for creating a facility for incineration or financial support for incinerating the gas.