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Ozone depleting substances and the greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs and SF₆

3 Ozone-depleting substances

All known importers of ODS’s responded to the questionnaire survey. The responses provide information on import/export, sales/purchase, and areas of application relating to relevant substances (including both mixed and pure substances). All ODS’s reported by the importers are new ODS’s.

The information from importers is supplemented with statistical information from Statistics Denmark for 2001. Information on CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113, tetrachloromethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and methylbromide is available from Statistics Denmark, but for HCFCs, halons and other CFCs the statistics are provided only for groups of substances and not for individual substances. Statistical data is used for cross-checking information on imports. The statistics do not distinguish between new and re-used substances, and thus imports could in principle consist of new and re-used substances. It is therefore assumed that in the import of CFC-113 the difference between data from importers and data from Statistics Denmark derives from the import of re-used ODS.

There is no import for feedstock except for methylbromide.

None of the exported amounts of HCFC-22 and HCFC-141b are used for feedstock or for essential use. It has not been possible to quantify in detail the export of 1,1,1-trichloroethane but it has been assumed that none is used for essential use or for feedstock purposes.

In the case of CFCs, Statistics Denmark does not distinguish between new and re-used classes of CFCs. Data on CFCs from Statistics Denmark are therefore not used in the evaluation. The Statistics Denmark information can only be used for halons, tetrachloromethane, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane when making direct comparisons with information from importers and user enterprises.

3.1 Import and export

The following sections describe the import of individual ozone-depleting substances.

3.1.1 CFCs

The import of new CFCs in 2001, based on information on imports, was 2.6 tonnes. In 2000 the import was 4.8 tonnes. The considerable fall is mostly due to a particular importer reporting a very limited import in 2001.

Four importers report imports of 2.6 tonnes of CFC-113 for use as a trace gas for laboratory purposes. There is no other information available for the import of other CFCs.

Statistics Denmark registered an import of 3.7 tonnes of CFC-113 in 2001, of which it is assumed 0.9 tonnes has been imported in the form of regenerated CFC-113. This accounts for the difference between 2.6 tonnes of new gas and 3.7 tonnes imported altogether.

3.1.2 Tetrachloromethane

In 2001, three importers reported imports and sales of a total of 1.25 tonnes of tetrachloromethane for laboratory purposes.

3.1.3 Trichloroethane

In 2001, two importers reported combined imports and sales of < 50 kg of 1,1,1-trichloroethane.

3.1.4 Halons

No information has been received regarding the import of halons in 2001.

3.1.5 Methylbromide

Approx. 180 tonnes of methylbromide have been imported for feedstock in chemical production.

3.1.6 HCFCs

Six enterprises have imported HCFCs in 2001. The consumption of HCFC-22 has fallen, while the consumption of HCFC-141b has risen, and the consumption of HCFC-142b has remained almost the same as in 2000. HCFC-123 has also been imported.

Import of pure HCFC-22 totals 329.3 tonnes in 2001. Of this, re-export to the rest of Scandinavia and Greenland measures 80.2 tonnes. Thus the Danish consumption amounts to 249.1 tonnes. In 2000 the consumption of HCFC-22 after re-export was 347 tonnes.

In addition, approx. 13.8 tonnes of pure HCFC-22 from HFC mixtures has been imported.

The import of HCFC-141b has increased to 609.3 tonnes in 2001. The import measured 538.8 tonnes in 2000. There was a small re-export of 0.3 tonnes of HCFC-141b in 2001, giving a final consumption of 609 tonnes.

There was no import of HCFC-142b in 2001. In 2000 this import amounted to 15.8 tonnes.

Table 3.1
Developments in consumption and potential emissions, tonnes (ODP-weighted tonnes are shown in italics)

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Importers and consumers report that HCPC-22 is only used as a refrigerant and HCFC-123, HCFC-141b and -142b are used exclusively for foam systems in foam production.

Table 3.2 shows an overview of the Danish consumption of HCFCs by application areas, using information provided by importers and producers.

Table 3.2
HCFC consumption distribution in application areas for 2001, based on information from importers and producers, tonnes.

3.1.7 Treatment

Denmark has two treatment facilities for the processing of ODS’s - Kommune Kemi (KK) and Århus Genindvinding. All ODS’s to be treated are sent to these plants.

The Kommune Kemi plant does not operate a registration system for individual substances because it receives and treats all substances in mixed tanks. Consequently it is not possible to quantify the amounts of substances collected for treatment based on what the plants receive. Therefore information is used from importers that receive and send on used ODS’s for treatment at the Kommune Kemi plant.

The Århus Genindvinding plant has the capacity to document specific annual quantities of individual substances processed at the plant.

The quantities of treated ODS in 2001:

Some of HCFC-22 results from HFC mixtures (HFC-401a, HFC-402a, HFC-403a, HFC-408a, HFC-409a and HFC-502a) that are sent to the Kommune Kemi treatment plant for processing by Danish importers either as mixtures of pure refrigerants or in mixture cylinders.