The OCHSNER
Refrigerant Dual Strategy

The regulation (EU) 2024/573: What it actually means

Since March 11, 2024, the revised F-gas regulation (EU) 2024/573 is in effect in the EU. It replaces the previous regulation 517/2014 and is directly binding in all 27 EU member states. Central to heat pumps is Annex IV of the regulation – it regulates which refrigerants may no longer be used in new devices from which date. 

The regulation clearly distinguishes between two situations that are often mixed: what applies to existing systems – and what applies to new products. 

Existing systems: Existing systems may continue to be operated, repaired, and maintained according to the current status – the regulation does not mandate decommissioning. For service and maintenance, R32, R410A, R407C, R134a, R513a, and R452B remain generally permissible under the applicable service and safety regulations. It should be noted that refrigerants with higher GWP may become scarcer and more expensive in the long term due to the quantity reduction in the phase-down. 

New products: Clear deadlines, differentiated by device category and performance class. Precision is key here. The regulation distinguishes not only by GWP value but also by construction type (Monoblock/Split) and nominal power: 

From January 1, 2027: No marketing of monoblock heat pumps (up to 50 kW) and split heat pumps (up to 12 kW) with GWP > 150. Affects R32, R452B, R513A for compact devices in these categories. 

From January 1, 2029: For split heat pumps up to 12 kW: all F-gases banned (except in safety exceptions). For split systems over 12 kW: GWP > 750 banned – R32 (GWP 675) is below this and remains permissible until 2033. 

From January 1, 2030: For split systems over 12 kW: GWP > 150 banned. From this date, GWP < 150 applies de facto to all heat pump categories. 

The safety exception – always a case-by-case examination. Annex IV contains an explicit exception rule: If safety requirements at the installation site do not allow the use of refrigerants with GWP < 150, higher GWP values up to a maximum of 750 remain permissible. This regulation is particularly relevant for brine and groundwater heat pumps with indoor installation: Here, R290 with safety class A3 (slightly flammable) is more challenging to implement than a non-flammable refrigerant of class A1. However, whether the exception applies in a specific case depends on the design, installation conditions, and the applicable national safety standards. 

What this means for the OCHSNER portfolio. The regulation makes the direction clear: refrigerants with very low GWP will become the norm in the long term. With R290, OCHSNER is already relying on a refrigerant that meets this requirement without time restrictions in four product families. The four product families AIR MILAN, AIR EAGLE, GEO FOX, and EUROPA N are very well positioned from a regulatory perspective regarding F-gases. The larger AIR HAWK models (726 and 1850, over 12 kW) operate with R32 (GWP 675), which remains permissible for split systems over 12 kW until 2033. For the more compact AIR HAWK models as well as for TERRA FOX and AQUA FOX, the next deadlines are 2027 and 2029, respectively. Research on refrigerants is not standing still: Worldwide, intensive research is being conducted on refrigerants with GWP below 150, which do not necessarily have to be R290 – and which could better meet specific requirements such as non-flammability (A1) or certain performance ranges than R290. OCHSNER actively follows these developments and will integrate new refrigerant solutions into the portfolio as soon as they are technically mature and regulatory secure. The differentiated refrigerant strategy is not a transitional model, but an expression of a development philosophy that chooses the technically most sensible option – today and tomorrow.