Marine HVAC & Refrigeration — F-Gas Compliant Services for Vessels & Offshore Facilities

Yes. Both the UK F-Gas Regulation 2024 and EU Regulation 2024/573 apply to fluorinated greenhouse gas-containing equipment on vessels and offshore platforms that are operated by UK or EU-based entities, or that call at UK or EU ports. The regulations cover refrigeration and HVAC systems containing HFCs, PFCs and SF₆.

The relevant obligations include leak checking at statutory intervals, refrigerant record-keeping, use of certified engineers for all F-Gas work, certified recovery of refrigerant before decommissioning, and prohibition on venting or topping up a leaking system without first repairing the leak.

Leak check frequency under the UK F-Gas Regulation is determined by the CO₂-equivalent charge of the system:

• 5–50 tonnes CO₂-eq: every 12 months (or 24 months with automatic leak detection)
• 50–500 tonnes CO₂-eq: every 6 months (or 12 months with ALDS)
• 500+ tonnes CO₂-eq: every 3 months (or 6 months with ALDS)

Converting to a lower-GWP refrigerant such as R448A or R449A can reduce a system's CO₂-equivalent charge significantly and extend the period between mandatory leak checks — reducing compliance costs. ANP Marine can calculate your CO₂-equivalent charges and plan service intervals for your fleet.

For each system containing 5 tonnes CO₂-eq or more, operators must maintain a written equipment record (logbook) containing:

• Quantity and type of fluorinated gas installed
• Quantities added during servicing and the reason for addition
• Quantities recovered and method of recovery
• Identity and contact details of the company that carried out the work
• Date and results of each leak check
• Location of any detected leak and action taken

Records must be retained for at least 5 years and made available to the competent authority on request. ANP Marine provides a compliant equipment logbook with every service and updates it each time we work on your systems.

No. R22 (HCFC-22) is an ozone-depleting substance controlled under the Montreal Protocol and has been banned from use in new and existing equipment in the UK and EU since 2015. Virgin R22 has not been legally available for servicing since 2010 in the EU. Reclaimed R22 was permitted until 2015 but is no longer available for topping up systems.

Any vessel still operating R22 systems is in breach of both ozone and F-Gas regulations and faces enforcement risk at PSC inspections. Conversion is mandatory. ANP Marine specialises in R407F retrofit for ships and R448A/R449A conversion as the preferred replacements for R22 marine refrigeration systems.

The EU F-Gas Regulation 2024/573 implements an accelerated phase-down of HFCs measured in CO₂-equivalent tonnes. The UK has adopted similar phase-down schedules under its own retained regulation. Key milestones affecting vessels include:

• 2024 onwards: R410A banned in new equipment (GWP >750 systems); quota restrictions tighten
• 2025: Further quota reduction — high-GWP gas prices increase significantly
• 2027: R404A and R507A effectively unavailable for servicing in EU markets
• 2030–2032: Most HFCs with GWP >150 banned in new equipment; servicing availability severely restricted

Vessels that defer refrigerant conversion face increasing costs and availability risk as quotas tighten. Converting during a planned drydock — while supply and pricing are still manageable — is significantly more cost-effective than forced conversion under pressure.

No. Under both UK and EU F-Gas regulations, it is prohibited to add refrigerant to a system that is known to be leaking without first repairing the leak. An engineer must not top up a system where a leak is detected or suspected until the source has been identified and repaired.

Following a repair, a mandatory re-check leak test must be performed within 30 days (or 1 month under EU regulation) to confirm the repair is effective. Failure to comply exposes the operator and the servicing company to regulatory penalties.

If a vessel is in a port where immediate repair is not possible, the competent authority may in some circumstances permit temporary top-up under strict conditions — but this must not be treated as routine practice. Contact ANP Marine for emergency guidance in this situation.

R407F is an HFC blend (R32/R125/R134a) with a GWP of 1,825. It is a proven retrofit option for R22 marine HVAC and refrigeration systems because it operates at similar pressures and temperatures to R22, reducing the need for major system modifications.

However, R407F is not a long-term solution under the F-Gas phase-down schedule — its GWP of 1,825 places it in the medium-term restriction category. For vessels undertaking R22 conversion in a drydock today, ANP Marine typically recommends evaluating R448A or R449A as the primary option (GWP 1,387 and 1,397 respectively), with R407F reserved for cases where system design or operational constraints make the lower-GWP blends unsuitable.

We provide a written refrigerant recommendation report for each system, covering compatibility, oil change requirements, TEV resizing, expected performance changes and long-term regulatory risk — so the chief engineer and superintendent can make an informed decision.

After any F-Gas work on a vessel or offshore facility, you should always request and retain the following:

• F-Gas engineer certification number — confirms the engineer is legally authorised to handle fluorinated refrigerants
• Service record / job sheet — quantity of refrigerant added or recovered, date, system identification
• Leak check certificate — date, method, result, and signature of certified engineer
• Refrigerant recovery certificate — if refrigerant was removed, quantity and disposal route
• Updated equipment logbook entry — to satisfy Article 6 record-keeping requirements

ANP Marine produces all of the above as standard with every service and sends a complete documentation pack to the superintendent and vessel operator within 48 hours of job completion.