SRF preps for HFC phase-down

Bright prospects

- Ashish Agrawal

Chemical conglomerate SRF Ltd is set to navigate the hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phase-down with backward integrated operations and a strong exports network, the management said at an investors' call last week. HFCs—potent climate pollutants—are an important part of SRF's business. The refrigerant gases producer is also investing in developing next-generation HFCs and is investing ₹1,100 crore to manufacture Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), which have much lower global warming potential (GWP).

The HFC phase-down is a global initiative under the 2016 Kigali Amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol. It mandates countries to reduce the production and consumption of HFCs based on their GWP value, a measure of the harmful impact of a gas. For instance, R32, an important HFC, has a GWP of 675, which means 1kg of R32 has the same global warming impact as 675kg of CO