The fourth-generation refrigerant hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) industry has broad development prospects and China’s production capacity needs to be improved.

Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs for short) refer to unsaturated organic compounds composed of hydrogen, fluorine and carbon. The ODP (ozone depletion potential) of hydrofluoroolefins is zero and has no destructive effect on the ozone layer. The GWP (global warming potential) is ultra-low and has minimal impact on climate warming. It is a type of environmental protection that is much higher than the A new generation of refrigerants, the second-generation refrigerant hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) and the third-generation refrigerant hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). In the future, as the trend of sustainable development continues to rise and the dual-carbon goal continues to be promoted, HFOs are expected to fully replace HCFCs and HFCs, and the industry has broad prospects for development.

HFOs products currently on the market include 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf), 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234ze), 1-chloro-3,3 , 3-trifluoropropene (HFO-1233zd), etc. Among them, HFO-1234yf is the mainstream product in the HFOs refrigerant market.

According to the “2023-2028 Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) Industry Market In-depth Research and Investment Prospects Forecast Analysis Report” released by the Industrial Research CenterIt shows that HFOs is the fourth generation refrigerant with excellent environmental protection characteristics and refrigeration efficiency. It has broad application prospects in automobile air conditioners, stationary air conditioners, refrigerator refrigeration and other fields. Especially in the field of automotive air conditioners, under the current booming development of the global automotive industry, the assembly volume of automotive air conditioners continues to increase, which in turn drives the demand for HFOs to continue to grow. The global hydrofluoroolefin (HFOs) series refrigerants market size will reach US$160 million in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 8.7%.

In addition to demand-driven industry development, relevant bills and policies are also continuing to benefit the development of the HFOs industry. The Montreal Protocol (Kigali Amendment) signed in 2016 stipulates that developed countries will begin to reduce the use of HFCs in 2019, and developing countries (including China) should freeze the consumption and production of HFCs in 2024 and start in 2029. reduce. As the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment are gradually accepted by more countries, HFOs, as a key substitute for HFCs, has ushered in a period of major development opportunities for the industry.

As a new generation of refrigerant products, global HFOs have begun commercial production and application. At present, the global HFOs market is dominated by companies such as Arkema of France, Honeywell of the United States, Chemours of the United States, and Daikin of Japan, and the industry concentration is high. Leading international companies have global patents on the preparation and application of HFOs, and high patent barriers restrict the entry of other companies. Against this background, the number of companies with HFOs production capacity in my country is relatively small, with only a few such as Zhejiang Juhua Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Huayi Sanaifu New Materials, and none of them have mass production capabilities.

However, driven by demand growth, Chinese companies are actively developing HFOs refrigerant products. For example, Jiangxi Zhongxin Exon New Materials is currently building an “annual production capacity of 5,000 tons/year 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropylene, 1 10,000 tons/year R134a and 10,000 tons/year R-1233zd reconstruction project.” Industry analysts said that in the future, as local companies continue to innovate in technology, my country’s HFOs production capacity is expected to continue to improve. , thereby creating favorable conditions for seizing market opportunities.