South Korea focuses on refrigerant recycling to cut greenhouse gas emissions

Seoul is accelerating the transition towards more sustainable cooling systems with a new programme focused on fluorinated gas recovery, the recycling of used refrigerants and the development of low-impact alternatives. The initiative aims to align the country with international climate agreements and reduce the contribution of high global warming potential refrigerants.

The project, named “Development of Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Reduction Technologies in Response to International Agreements”, will start by the end of June and was launched by the South Korean Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment together with the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute.

The goal is to create a more efficient supply chain for managing refrigerants throughout their entire life cycle: from production and use to recovery, regeneration and final disposal. Through this approach, the South Korean government aims to reduce fluorinated gas emissions, which are considered among the main contributors to the greenhouse effect in the air conditioning and refrigeration sectors.

Recovery, regeneration and new technologies

The programme will focus on three main areas: improving refrigerant recovery systems, treating no longer usable gases, and developing alternative solutions with a lower climate impact.

One of the first planned actions involves the creation of more advanced equipment capable of extracting refrigerants from air conditioning units and refrigeration systems faster and more efficiently. The project also includes the development of a digital platform based on ICT technologies to monitor and manage the quantities of recovered gases.

Another research area will focus on refrigerant regeneration, with technologies capable of separating and purifying mixtures of previously used gases, allowing them to be reused. The programme will also support the development of more cost-effective and efficient destruction systems for unrecoverable refrigerants, as well as tools to assess the quality of recycled products.

Towards low-impact refrigerants

South Korea’s strategy also looks to the future of the sector, with investments aimed at replacing traditional refrigerants with alternatives characterised by a low GWP (Global Warming Potential).

Planned measures include the development of high-efficiency heat pumps using reduced amounts of refrigerant and new technologies to detect and control possible leaks when using natural refrigerants, such as propane, including in multi-family residential buildings.

According to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the project will help expand the recycling of used refrigerants and promote the adoption of more sustainable solutions, strengthening South Korea’s pathway towards national greenhouse gas reduction targets established under international climate commitments.

The latest developments in industrial and commercial refrigeration, logistics, frozen food systems and cryogenics will be among the key topics discussed at REFRIGERA, the international event dedicated to the sector, which will be held at Bologna Exhibition Center from 10 to 12 November 2027.