"Recycling Hidden Greenhouse Gas Sources: National Project on Refrigerant Recovery and Reuse Launched"
Refrigerants are considered "hidden sources of greenhouse gas emissions." They must no longer be treated as disposable waste, but should be recovered and reused as valuable resources.
Jang Jae-hoon, President of the Carbon Neutrality Strategic Project Team at the Korean Testing Certification Institute (KTC), explained the importance of this project on June 3, as KTC was selected as the lead institution for developing refrigerant recovery and recycling technologies, a core task of this year’s Climate, Energy, and Environment R&D Program by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.
Refrigerants used in air conditioners, refrigerators, and industrial refrigeration and air conditioning systems can be continuously leaked during aging, repair, relocation, and disposal processes. However, management systems have not been sufficiently effective. Consequently, refrigerants have remained a “blind spot” in greenhouse gas reduction policies, with recent emission increases adding pressure to achieving the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
A national project was launched to address this issue. KTC was selected for the “Core Task of Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Reduction Technology Development in Response to International Agreements,” led by the Ministry of Climate, to develop ICT-based, high-efficiency refrigerant recovery and recycling devices.
This project aims to establish a foundation for reducing about 20 million tons of greenhouse gases annually in the refrigerant (HFCs) sector and is regarded as a key initiative to support NDC achievement. President Jang stated, “There are limitations to just switching to new refrigerants, so the key is how much we can recover and reuse refrigerants from existing equipment.”
The problem has been with the recovery system itself. The current system was designed for large-scale equipment (over 20 RT), leaving small and medium-sized facilities unaddressed. Recovery processes are costly and time-consuming, yet there are insufficient compensation mechanisms. Therefore, recovery rates remain low, and recovered refrigerants are not sufficiently regenerated or reused.
The focus of this project is not only on equipment development but establishing a structure that encompasses “recovery → recording → verification → reuse.” Previous methods relied on manual records and post-reporting, but ICT-based technology now enables automatic measurement, recording, and transmission of data from the moment of recovery. President Jang explained, “This provides an objective basis to certify the recovery results and link them to the country’s greenhouse gas reduction achievements.”
Major overseas countries have already established management systems that cover recovery, regeneration, and reuse. President Jang said, “Although Korea is still in the transition phase, ICT-based integrated management technology is a competitive field. This is an opportunity to create a Korea-style refrigerant management model.”
He emphasized that refrigerants should be regarded as “controllable emission sources.” “Even the refrigerants in home air conditioners have thousands of times more warming potential than CO₂, but if they are properly recovered, emissions can be prevented. Simply recovering refrigerants during the transfer, repair, or disposal of air conditioners can contribute to greenhouse gas reduction,” he stated.
In particular, refrigerants have long been regarded as “use-and-dispose substances.” However, if a structure for recovery, purification, and reuse is established, they can be transformed into “recycled resources.” President Jang stressed, “This project is the starting point for establishing a full-cycle refrigerant management system, shifting from emission sources to resources.”
