Environmental Project, 890 – Ozone depleting substances and the greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs and SF6

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

2 Introduction

On behalf of the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, the consulting firm, PlanMiljø, has conducted an assessment of Danish consumption and emissions of ozone-depleting substances and the industrial greenhouse gases (also called F-gases) HFCs, PFCs, and SF₆ for 2002. The evaluation survey has been carried out in continuation of previous assessments /13/ and references in them.

The report provides an evaluation of actual emissions of HFCs, PFCs, and SF₆. The calculation of actual emissions takes into account emissions from stock contained in products, and adjustments have been made for imports and exports of the substances contained in products. Appendix 5 describes the specific emission factors, etc.

The report has been prepared partly to enable Denmark to fulfil its international obligations to provide information on the area and partly to follow the trend in consumption of ozone-depleting substances and emissions of HFCs, PFCs, and SF₆. An example of reporting of Danish emissions is given in reference /18/.

The ozone-depleting substances regulated by the Montreal Protocol are depleting the earth's protective ozone layer at a much greater rate than natural processes reproduce ozone. This is disturbing the natural balance and leading to an increase in dangerous ultraviolet radiation. The depletion is dependent on the different depleting potentials of specific substances - ODP values (Ozone-Depleting Potential).

Greenhouse gases cause an increase in the ability of the atmosphere to retain heat radiated from the earth. Consequently the temperature of the earth's surface rises and this can lead to climate changes. There are several ozone-depleting substances that also have a strong greenhouse effect.

The potential effect of different greenhouse gases varies from substance to substance. This potential is expressed by a GWP value (Global Warming Potential). The so-called "pure" greenhouse gases that do not have an ozone-depleting effect, but which have high GWP values (HFCs, PFCs and SF₆) are regulated by the Kyoto Protocol under the Climate Change Convention.

The Danish EPA has published a booklet on the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect /5/, and in cooperation with the other Nordic countries, the Danish EPA has published a booklet on the protection of the ozone layer - Nordic Perspective /6/. The Danish EPA has also published a report on substitutes for the greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs and SF₆ /10/.

2.1 Monitoring Group

The project has been overseen by a monitoring group, which has reviewed the results of the assessment. The monitoring group consisted of:

Frank Jensen, Danish EPA
Erik Lyck, National Environmental Research Institute, Denmark (NERI)
Marianne Kodahl, Confederation of Danish Industries (DI)
N.N., Statistics Denmark
Tomas Sander Poulsen, PlanMiljø

2.2 Objective

The objective of the project is to evaluate the 2002 consumption of recently produced ozone-depleting substances and the consumption and actual emissions of the greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs, and SF₆. The evaluation has been made partly in accordance with the IPCC guidelines, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change /4/, and partly following the methods employed in previous evaluations.

In Appendix 1, Tables 1.A and 1.B show the ozone-depleting substances regulated by the Montreal Protocol, their chemical formulas and ODP values (Ozone-Depleting Potential), and the `pure' potent greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol under the Climate Change Convention, and their chemical formulas and GWP values (Global Warming Potential).

2.3 Scope and definitions

Ozone-depleting substances

This evaluation survey covers the net consumption of ozone-depleting substances. The term net consumption is understood as the amount of imported goods in bulk or drums, not counting any re-export of substances as raw materials.

Ozone-depleting substances contained in finished products that are imported and exported are not included in the evaluation. This delimitation is in full compliance with international guidelines.

The evaluation does not account for the consumption of ozone-depleting substances as raw material used in the production of other substances, such as tetrachloromethane, and which are not subsequently emitted to the atmosphere.

The information on consumption has been gathered from importers, suppliers and user enterprises (usually purchasing departments), and Statistics Denmark. The method of data gathering used ensures that the information collected corresponds to the quantities of substances that are traded. The purchase and sales figures are utilised in this evaluation as an expression synonymous with the level of consumption. This approach is considered to be suitable and adequate for the present purpose, since experience from previous projects shows that a levelling out occurs with time and the substances sold/purchased are consumed within a relatively small time horizon.

None of the substances covered here are produced in Denmark. Furthermore, ozone-depleting substances in Denmark are transported for treatment at chemical waste processing plants in Denmark. This data is included in the evaluation, but is not offset in the consumption figures, as was the case in all previous surveys.

Greenhouse gases

The evaluation of actual emissions of the greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs and SF₆ has been carried out in continuation of foregoing assessments which have become increasingly more accurate as advances have been made in internationally approved guidelines (IPCC Guidelines) and the ability to gather more detailed data.

The evaluation of actual emissions includes the quantification and calculation of any imports and exports of HFCs, PFCs, and SF₆ contained in products, and takes into account the substances in stock form. This is in accordance with the latest and most accurate method of calculation (Tier 2) among the available methods provided in the IPCC Guidelines /4/.

2.4 Method

Consumption and emissions

The evaluation of consumption and calculation of emissions and stock have been carried out on the basis of information from six sources:

Importers, agency enterprises, wholesalers, and suppliers
Consuming enterprises, and trade and industry associations
Recycling enterprises and chemical waste recycling plants
Statistics Denmark
Danish Refrigeration Installers' Environmental Scheme (KMO)
Previous evaluations of HFCs, PFCs
and SF₆ /2, 11, 13, 16/.

Information for evaluation is firstly gathered by means of a questionnaire survey. The responses to the questionnaires are supplemented where necessary with information gathered by telephone.

The results of the project are primarily based on the information received from enterprise and importer respondents etc., as well as registrations and statistics from the KMO, etc.

The information gathered from importers and suppliers is recorded with information on consumer enterprises in order to monitor any disagreements between purchase and sales information and application of the substances. In some cases, the application of individual substances can be estimated on the basis of two sources, given that the majority of the consuming enterprises are known. In cases where not all the user enterprises specify the application of substances, the consumption of individual substances is estimated from the information provided by importers, suppliers, and any industry-related organisations, such as the KMO.

Occasionally, there are inconsistencies between the information provided by suppliers and user enterprises. This is partly due to imports from other EU countries, changes in inventories of substances, or a lack of correspondence between the quantities sold and consumed. It can also be due to a degree of uncertainty in the method of calculation used by enterprises. Sales and consumption information has been harmonised.

The average degree of uncertainty in the report's consumption figures (sold and bought quantities) is estimated at approx. 10-15 per cent, and slightly greater for data regarding the areas of application. The degree of uncertainty in the calculation of actual emissions is estimated at 20-25 per cent depending on import/export information for the specific products.

The evaluation has been conducted using two different methods /4/:

Potential emissions (ozone-depleting substances)
Actual emissions (HFCs, PFCs, and SF₆)

The ozone-depleting substances are not included in the calculations of emissions of greenhouse gases, since ozone-depleting substances are regulated by the Montreal Protocol. When evaluating emissions of ozone-depleting substances, net consumption is considered equivalent to potential emissions. Thus:

Potential emissions = imports + production - exports - destruction/treatment.

The evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions is based on a calculation of actual emissions. Actual emissions are emissions in the evaluation year, accounting for the time lapse between consumption and emissions. Actual emissions include Danish emissions from production, from products during their lifetimes, and from waste products. Actual emissions for the specific areas of application are determined on the grounds of the following analyses:

Tier 2 top-down analysis

In the tier 2 top-down analysis, emissions are determined on the basis of information on consumption in the various areas of application and calculated or estimated emissions in the area of application (emission factors).

Tier 2 bottom-up analysis

In the bottom-up analysis, an estimate is made of emissions from a specific application area based on information from producers using substances in production and products; information on imports and exports of products; information on the technological developments within the application areas; information on the average amount of greenhouse gases contained in products; and information on the lifetime of products and the actual emissions during the consumption phase and disposal phase.

Tier 2 bottom-up analyses have been carried out within selected areas over a number of years. The analyses have quantified the stock and, in some cases, Danish emission factors. Detailed analyses have been carried out for commercial refrigerators, mobile A/C systems, fridges, freezers, and SF₆ power switches. The analyses have been evaluated in separate reports /2, 11, 16/:

Bottom-up includes:

Screening of the market for products in which greenhouse gases are used.
Calculation of averages for the content of greenhouse gases per product unit.
Calculation of emissions during the lifetime of products and at disposal.
Identification of technological development trends that have significance for emissions of greenhouse gases.
Calculation of imports and exports on the basis of defined key figures, information from Statistics Denmark on foreign trade, and industry information.

The results from this analysis are built on further in the evaluation of actual emissions for the current year.

Consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases are, wherever possible, carried out for individual substances, even though the consumption of certain HFCs has been very limited. This has been done to ensure transparency of evaluation in the calculation of GWP values. However, the continued use of a category for "Other HFCs" has been necessary since not all importers and suppliers have detailed records of sales for individual substances.

Uncertainty varies from substance to substance. Uncertainty is greatest for HFC-134a due to its widespread application in products that are imported and exported. The greatest uncertainty in the distribution of substances in the areas of application is judged to arise from the consumption of HFC-404a and HFC-134a in commercial refrigerators and mobile refrigerators. The distribution is significant in the differences in the emission calculations in the short term (approx. five years), but balances out in the long term. This is because the distribution is only significant for the rate at which emissions are released.

Appendix 5 shows an overview of all the application areas evaluated with descriptions of the bases of calculation.

2.5 Explanation of terminology

The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout this report:

User enterprise: A producer that uses ozone-depleting substances or potent greenhouse gases in connection with production processes in the enterprise.
Emission factor: The factor used in the calculation of emissions from a product or a production process.
Consumption: Consumption includes the quantity of substances in imports registered in Denmark during the year of evaluation. These figures are provided by wholesalers and by producers in Denmark
Importer: Enterprises in Denmark that sell the relevant substances on the Danish market.
KMO: Danish Refrigeration Installers' Environmental Scheme
Stock: The amount of substance contained in products in Denmark.