Company Establishes Supply of Opteon™ YF Refrigerant from Two Facilities and Makes Plans for Expansion; DuPont Partner Obtains Registration of HFO-1234yf in China
WILMINGTON, Del. – DuPont Fluorochemicals (DuPont) has successfully established supply of next-generation DuPont™ Opteon™ YF (HFO-1234yf) refrigerant from China and Japan, and has put firm plans in place for further expansions. This refrigerant is an example of DuPont applying science to create more sustainable solutions that make a difference.
The company’s partner in China has obtained registration of HFO-1234yf from the China Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). This is in addition to registrations already obtained from regulatory authorities in the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada and Korea.
The start-up of the China facility has exceeded expectations in terms of production quality and rates, and DuPont made its first commercial shipments of Opteon™ YF refrigerant from China in early October.
DuPont co-developed this refrigerant with extremely low global warming potential (GWP) in response to Europe’s Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC) Directive. The MAC Directive presented the automotive industry with a critical need for a refrigerant that has a GWP below 150, and also meets a range of other criteria. With a GWP of 4, Opteon™ YF is a scientific breakthrough.
“DuPont considers Opteon™ YF to be an ideal solution for automotive air conditioning, in terms of safety, performance and environmental impact,” said Diane Iuliano Picho, global business manager, Opteon™ refrigerants. “We have been working to meet the industry’s needs under the MAC Directive since the Directive was passed in 2006. More recently, we have seen increased automaker interest in reducing environmental footprint by using Opteon™ YF in cars for the United States and Japan markets.”
DuPont has made commercial shipments of Opteon™ YF refrigerant starting in 2011, and has firm supply plans to meet customers’ forecasted demand for the EU MAC Directive and needs for the product in other markets.
“DuPont has invested considerably in product development and in moving forward on multiple production facilities,” added Jane E. Austin, global business director, DuPont Fluorochemicals. “We are planning further investments to meet long-term market needs. Our capacity expansion efforts demonstrate our commitment to meeting the industry’s needs for this product.”
“At DuPont we apply our scientific expertise to creating sustainable solutions that make a difference in the world,” said Thierry F. J. Vanlancker, president, DuPont Chemicals & Fluoroproducts. “We believe our commercialization of Opteon™ YF is a great example of this, as it will enable DuPont and our automotive customers to contribute to global efforts to address climate change. Opteon™ YF has a 99.7 percent lower global warming potential as compared to the refrigerant used in most cars today. In addition, Opteon™ YF enables energy efficiency, and has an optimal balance of safety, performance, environmental impact and cost.”
DuPont is a leading global supplier of refrigerants, using science and technology, market knowledge and global reach to provide sustainable materials and solutions to enhance personal comfort, enable food preservation, improve industrial processing and reduce environmental footprints. For more information, please visit http://refrigerants.dupont.com and http://smartautoac.com.
DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit www.dupont.com.