Over the last year, a number of major HVAC&R manufacturers have launched propane (R290)-based air-conditioning units in the European market, signaling a shift in a sector that has long been viewed as one of the final frontiers for natural refrigerants.
While CO2 (R744) and ammonia (R717) have been well and truly ingrained in Europe’s commercial and industrial HVAC&R sectors for many years, and propane is quickly becoming the go-to refrigerant for residential air-to-water heat pumps, the residential AC market has been slower to adopt natural refrigerants.
However, driven by the recently-updated EU F-gas Regulation, which restricts the use of f-gases in split ACs with up to 12kW (3.4TR) of cooling capacity from January 1, 2029, and bans them completely from January 1, 2035, attention is shifting to R290-based technologies. This transition is accelerating due to growing concerns around the environmental and health impacts of hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and updated international safety standards that permit higher charge limits for flammable refrigerants like propane in household HVAC appliances.
On the market
Chinese manufacturer Midea brought its propane-based single split AC unit, the All Easy Blue, to Europe in 2021.
Since then, other companies – including China-based Haier, U.K.-based white-label supplier electriQ, Germany’s Kältebringer and the Italian OEM Clivet, which is owned by Midea – have launched similar products. The majority of these units cover capacities of 2.5–3.5kW (0.7–1TR).
The growing number of manufacturers indicates the direction the market is moving.
“We’re at the very beginning of this transition, but several [R290] products are available,” said Marc Chasserot, Co-Founder and CEO of ATMOsphere, publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com. “You can buy them today in Europe, and they’re ultra efficient.”
“We’re at the very beginning of this transition, but several [R290] products are available. You can buy them today in Europe, and they’re ultra efficient.”
Marc Chasserot, ATMOsphere
Beyond single split ACs, other R290-based AC technologies are available in Europe, including the 2.0 Mini monobloc from Italian manufacturer Innova. The AC, which Innova calls the “first fixed twin-duct air conditioner to use R290,” has no outdoor unit. It was developed in 2021 under the EU-funded Life-ZeroGWP Project.
Beyond Europe
While slow, the adoption of propane-based AC does extend beyond Europe, with Indian manufacturer Godrej offering a 5.3kW (1.5TR) single split AC unit with propane for the Asian market.
To encourage the widespread uptake of R290 air-conditioning, organizations like the Green Cooling Initiative (GCI) – a global initiative of the German government’s GIZ Proklima program – are investing heavily in raising awareness and training efforts.
“The market uptake of R290 AC technology remains limited up to date, though it has been available for over 10 years,” explained the GCI in a 2023 statement. “GIZ Proklima promotes the use of R290, [so] we wish to see more availability and [adoption] of this super environmental-friendly technology that contributes to climate action.”
To date, the GCI has organized R290 AC training in multiple countries, including Uganda, India and Grenada. The initiative also hosted a five-day study tour to China during which representatives from Bangladesh, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam learned about propane-based AC.
