F-Gases and Alternative Refrigerants: How HVACR Certification Is Changing

The new European framework on F-gases isn't just changing the availability of refrigerants and the technologies used in systems. One of the most significant impacts directly concerns the skills, training, and certification of HVACR technicians , who are required to work with a growing number of low-GWP refrigerants and whose safety characteristics differ greatly from those of traditional HFCs.

EU Regulation 2024/573 has expanded the scope of training, while EU Implementing Regulation 2024/2215 has defined new minimum certification requirements for refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump activities. In addition to fluorinated gases, hydrocarbons, CO₂, and ammonia are now explicitly included in the system.

For refrigeration engineers and companies, this means preparing for a transition that involves more than simply switching from one refrigerant to another, but requires specific expertise in flammability, operating pressures, toxicity, permissible charges, recovery, and safety procedures.

New F-Gas certification: A1, A2, B, C, D and E

EU Implementing Regulation 2024/2215 introduces a certification structure divided into six types, differentiated according to the refrigerants and the activities the technician can perform.

In particular:

• A1 : covers all activities foreseen on fluorinated gases and hydrocarbons;
• A2 : concerns fluorinated gases and hydrocarbons, but for equipment with a charge of less than 3 kg or, in hermetically sealed systems, less than 6 kg;
• B : concerns activities on systems containing CO₂ (R744);
• C : concerns activities with ammonia (R717);
• D : is dedicated to the recovery of fluorinated gases from equipment with certain charge quantities;
• E : concerns leak control when the activity does not involve opening the refrigeration circuit.

This is a significant change from a qualification system that has historically focused primarily on fluorinated gases.

The spread of low-GWP alternatives makes it necessary to certify not only the ability to manage the refrigeration cycle, but also knowledge of the specific characteristics of the different refrigerants.

The exams required by the regulations include both theoretical and practical tests and include knowledge of regulations, thermodynamics, and operating procedures. For certifications A1 and A2, knowledge of the specific characteristics of CO₂ and ammonia is also required, while for certifications B and C, knowledge of hydrocarbons is also considered.

CO₂, ammonia and hydrocarbons enter fully into the formation

The change reflects the technological evolution of European refrigeration.

The HFC phase-down and the progressive bans foreseen by the new F-Gas Regulation are accelerating the use of alternative refrigerants, in particular:

• CO₂ (R744) in commercial and industrial refrigeration,
• ammonia (R717) especially in industrial plants,
• hydrocarbons such as R290 in an increasing number of equipment.

These are solutions characterised by very low or zero GWP, but have different operational characteristics.

CO₂ operates at significantly higher pressures than many traditional refrigerants. Ammonia requires careful handling due to its toxicity. Hydrocarbons, including propane, belong to safety class A3 and are highly flammable.

A2L refrigerants , which are characterized by reduced flammability, are also becoming increasingly popular in new equipment.

Consequently, the transition cannot be addressed simply by replacing one fluid with another. Tools, procedures, design, and risk assessments will change.

Among the skills that are most important are:

• safe handling of flammable refrigerants;
• loss detection and prevention;
• refrigerant recovery;
• correct evacuation and charging;
• knowledge of operating pressures;
• use of tools compatible with the refrigerant;
• intervention procedures in safe conditions.

Training therefore becomes one of the key elements in making the transition to refrigerants with a lower climate impact concretely possible.

HFC Phase-down: 2027 marks a new milestone

The European HFC phase-down timetable also contributes to increasing the urgency of the transition .

According to Annex VII of EU Regulation 2024/573, the maximum quantity of HFCs that can be placed on the European market will increase from 42.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2025-2026 to 21.67 million tonnes in 2027-2029. This represents a reduction of approximately 49.5% between the two periods.

The next step will be even more dramatic: between 2030 and 2032, the cap will drop to approximately 9.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, until the planned phase-out of HFC quotas in 2050.

The reduction in quotas , together with the specific bans foreseen for different types of equipment, pushes producers and users towards refrigerants with progressively lower GWP.

For the maintenance sector, this means that in the coming years it will be necessary to simultaneously manage existing systems powered by HFCs, systems with new A2L blends and equipment based on natural refrigerants.

Multi-refrigerant expertise will therefore become less and less of a specialized activity and more and more a standard feature of the refrigeration engineer's work.

Professional development at least every seven years

The new F-Gas Regulation also introduces an important principle: certification is no longer considered a skill acquired once and for all .

By 12 March 2027, Member States shall require certified natural persons to attend a refresher course or complete an evaluation process at least every seven years.

For those who already have certifications issued under the previous EU Regulation 517/2014, the certificates remain valid under the original conditions, but the first update or evaluation process must take place by March 12, 2029.

This principle is consistent with the rapid pace of change in the industry. Refrigerants, standards, equipment, tools, and safety procedures are evolving simultaneously in just a few years.

In Italy, it will also be necessary to complete the adaptation of national legislation. As of September 2026, the new implementing Presidential Decree is still in the national technical process: it will therefore be necessary to distinguish the European provisions already directly applicable from the organizational aspects that will need to be defined by the new Italian framework.

For businesses and technicians, the message is already clear: the new F-Gas isn't just an emissions reduction policy. It's creating an HVACR market where ongoing training, safety, and the ability to work with different refrigerants become integral to the refrigeration technician's professionalism.