The Korea Testing Certification (KTC, Director An Sung-il) announced on the 26th that it has decided to strengthen business cooperation with the Korea Petroleum Industry Association (KPIA, Chairman Shin Hak-cheol) to provide tailored replacement transition technology support for HCFC·HFC specific material using companies contributing to global warming.
The meeting took place with seven attendees including Director An Sung-il of KTC and Vice Chairman Um Chan-wang of KPIA at the KPIA conference room located in Jongno-gu, Seoul, at 11 a.m. on the 26th.
At this meeting, KTC discussed the domestic implementation plan for HFC, a substitute for HCFC, starting from this year according to the Montreal Protocol's Kigali Amendment (2016), and measures for establishing a management system for specific materials with KPIA.
In Korea, HCFC and HFC specific materials with high impact on ozone depletion and global warming are used in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, gas fire extinguishing equipment, and organic thermal insulation materials for construction.
HCFC consumption has been gradually reduced since 2013 in accordance with the Ozone Layer Protection Act, and its use will be completely prohibited from 2030. Starting from 2024, regulations have been expanded to include HFC as well following the implementation of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, and Korea has also promulgated the amended Ozone Layer Protection Act in 2023.
Especially, regarding the existing national greenhouse gas statistics, emissions for only two out of 18 HFC types have been calculated. However, it is expected that the calculation scope for emissions will be expanded to all 18 types from this year in accordance with the Paris Agreement, leading to increased demands for emission reduction and rationalization of specific material usage for carbon neutrality.
In response, KTC has pledged to strengthen cooperation with KPIA in enforcing the Ozone Layer Protection Act, including imposing and collecting specific material levies and managing manufacturing and import permits, considering 2024 as the first year of a leap forward for rationalizing specific material usage.
KTC has previously facilitated the replacement transition of specific materials in the polyurethane construction insulation industry in Korea through the development of standard models for HCFC·HFC specific material replacement foaming technology in collaboration with KPIA last year.
Especially, as the implementing agency for KPIA's ongoing projects on specific material technology support and management system establishment as well as Montreal Protocol compliance support projects this year, KTC plans to provide tailored replacement transition technology consulting to small and medium-sized enterprises in the refrigerant, foaming, fire extinguishing, and cleaning sectors facing difficulties in specific material replacement transition.
Furthermore, KPIA is pursuing various support projects for carbon neutrality in the petroleum and chemical industry and has agreed to strengthen future cooperation with KTC for expanding the CFE (Carbon Free, Zero Carbon) initiative and developing international standards and certification systems.
KTC was selected as a "Clean Hydrogen Certification Testing and Evaluation Agency" by the Ministry of Industry last year and has been conducting related projects since this year. It is also a member of the Korean-led public-private joint consultative body for carbon neutrality, the "CF (Carbon Free, Zero Carbon) Alliance."
Director An Sung-il of KTC stated, "We spare no effort to support stable domestic implementation of the Kigali Amendment and emission reduction and rationalization of specific materials," and expressed commitment to securing the technological competitiveness of Korean companies to contribute to the green transition and sustainable development of industries.
