All you need to know about Propane R290
What is Propane gas? Propane R290 is a hydrocarbon and so-called natural refrigerant that is used in many types of application, for example it is commonly used in air conditioning, refrigerators, freezers and heat pumps. This group also includes Propylene R1270 and Isobutane R600A
Amended legislation regarding refrigerants
Propane R290 is becoming increasingly popular because it is an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic refrigerants. Synthetic refrigerants have a high global warming potential and in some cases, they also release environmentally hazardous substances such as PFAS and TFA. In addition, the latest update of the F-Gas regulation and the proposed EU legislation on PFAS have led to many not seeing a future for synthetic refrigerants. As a result, the Swedish industry association Svenska Kyl & Värmepumpeföreningen (Swedish Refrigeration and Heat Pump Association) has chosen to discourage all use of synthetic refrigerants.
This is why Propane R290 is an environmentally friendly refrigerant
The environmentally friendly aspects are becoming increasingly important when choosing refrigerants and from this perspective, hydrocarbon gas is best suited along with CO2 and Ammonia. This is due to the very low GWP value of this gas. Global Warming Potential is a measure of how much a gas contributes to the greenhouse effect. The higher the GWP, the greater the negative impact of the gas on the climate. According to the Swedish Refrigeration and Heat Pump Association Propane R290 has a very low GWP value of 1, which is significantly lower than many other refrigerants that are used today. A GWP value of 1 can be considered negligible for the climate, while other synthetic refrigerants have GWP values in the thousands, which cause a very worrying burden on the climate.
Propane R290 and energy efficiency
As previously mentioned, Propane R290 is also a very energy efficient refrigerant. It can absorb and emit heat quickly, which means that a smaller amount of the gas is required to cool an area. This results in lower energy consumption and of course, lower costs for those who use it.
Disadvantages of Propane R290
What are the disadvantages of Propane R290? The most common that is usually mentioned is that it is a fire risk. Quite simply, the gas is highly inflammable. However, this is not a problem. In all facilities that use propane as a refrigerant, the regulations require correct safety devices such as gas detectors and ventilation systems. In fact, these facilities are safer than many others at which gas is handled. For example, what do you do with the LPG for your barbecue or what do you do when you put a gas cylinder into the boot of your car? The amount of gas in an application with propane is usually smaller than the gas cylinder for a barbecue, but it is handled with much higher safety level, which is why a propane installation is very safe to use.
Are you interested in switching to natural refrigerants such as Propane R290? Please contact us here so we can help you.
Read more:
Propylene R1270
Carbon Dioxide R744
Isobutane R600A
Ammonia R717
Customer case
This is how we apply standards and safety for propane R290
Are you ready to cross the threshold to a climate-neutral society?
Then we’d love to hear from you! It’s natural to have a few questions when replacing something you’re used to with something new. But we’re here to answer all your questions, whether they’re about our products or natural refrigerants in general.
More customers are demanding natural refrigerants and switching to sustainable alternatives for their refrigeration and heat pumps. Enrad has advanced furthest in Sweden in this, which is why I contacted them.
— Viktor Jonsson, project manager at Francks Kylindustri
