How is CO2-equivalent calculated for a refrigerant?

CO2-equivalent in tonnes equals the mass in kilograms multiplied by the gas's Global Warming Potential, divided by 1,000. For example 10 kg of R-404A (GWP 3,922) is 10 x 3922 / 1000 = 39.22 tonnes CO2e. The GWP is fixed per gas in the EU F-Gas Regulation.

What is the HFC phase-down?

The EU F-Gas Regulation caps the total CO2-equivalent tonnes of HFCs placed on the market each year and ratchets that cap down over time toward near-elimination by 2050. Because the cap is measured in CO2e, high-GWP gases consume quota far faster than low-GWP alternatives like R-32 or R-1234yf.

What are the leak-check thresholds?

Stationary equipment must be leak-checked at intervals set by its charge in CO2e: at least every 12 months from 5 tonnes, every 6 months from 50 tonnes, and every 3 months from 500 tonnes, with the intervals doubling where a leak-detection system is fitted. The tool shows which band your charge falls into.

Are there bans on high-GWP refrigerants?

Yes. Servicing of refrigeration equipment with refrigerants of GWP 2,500 or above (such as R-404A) using virgin gas is restricted, and many new equipment types face GWP placing-on-the-market bans. The tool flags refrigerants over the 2,500 GWP threshold so you can plan retrofits.

Does this tool send my figures anywhere?

No. The refrigerant and quantity are multiplied locally in your browser. Nothing about your equipment, charge or business is uploaded, logged or stored on any server.

What is the F-Gas Quota & HFC Phase-Down Calculator?

Enter a refrigerant (R-410A, R-32, R-404A, R-134a and more) and quantity in kilograms to compute the CO2-equivalent in tonnes using each blend's GWP, see where it sits in the EU HFC phase-down schedule, and flag pre-charged-equipment and service-ban restrictions for HVAC and refrigerant trades. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

F-Gas Quota & HFC Phase-Down Calculator

Name: F-Gas Quota & HFC Phase-Down Calculator
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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An F-Gas Quota & HFC Phase-Down Calculator that converts a refrigerant charge into its climate impact and shows where it sits under the EU F-Gas Regulation. Because the regulation manages fluorinated gases by their CO2-equivalent — not their mass — a few kilograms of a high-GWP gas can carry the same regulatory weight as tonnes of a low-GWP one. This tool is for HVAC and refrigeration engineers, importers and refrigerant traders who need accurate tCO2e figures and the obligations that follow.

How it works

Every fluorinated gas has a fixed Global Warming Potential (GWP) — how many times more warming it causes than the same mass of CO2 over 100 years. The conversion is simple and exact:

tonnes CO2e = mass_kg x GWP / 1000

So 10 kg of R-404A (GWP 3,922) is 39.22 tCO2e, while 10 kg of R-32 (GWP 675) is just 6.75 tCO2e. The tool stores the official GWP for common refrigerants and blends, including R-410A (2,088), R-134a (1,430), R-407C (1,774), R-407F (1,825), R-507A (3,985), R-1234yf (4) and R-744 / CO2 (1).

Restrictions the result triggers

The tCO2e figure drives the regulatory duties. Leak-check intervals for stationary equipment step at 5, 50 and 500 tonnes CO2e (12, 6 and 3 months respectively, doubled where leak detection is fitted). Gases with GWP of 2,500 or more — notably R-404A and R-507A — face servicing restrictions on the use of virgin gas, pushing the trade toward reclaimed gas and lower-GWP retrofits. The tool surfaces the leak-check band and flags any gas above the 2,500 threshold so you can plan compliance and quota use deliberately.

All arithmetic happens locally; nothing you enter is uploaded or stored.

Choosing between high-GWP and low-GWP alternatives

The HFC phase-down creates a real commercial incentive to switch refrigerants, because high-GWP gases consume quota faster and are increasingly expensive to source as the cap tightens. R-404A (GWP 3,922) and R-507A (GWP 3,985) are the most affected: 10 kg of either consumes nearly 40 tCO2e of quota, versus just 6.75 tCO2e for the same mass of R-32 (GWP 675) or less than 1 tCO2e for R-1234yf (GWP 4).

For new split air-conditioning systems the transition is already well advanced — R-32 is now dominant in new domestic units across the EU and UK. In commercial refrigeration the shift is more gradual, with retrofits to lower-GWP blends like R-449A (GWP 1,397, replacing R-404A) or natural refrigerants such as R-744 (CO2, GWP 1) or R-717 (ammonia) in larger installations.

Leak-check bands at a glance

CO2e of charge	Leak-check interval	With leak detection
5 to under 50 tCO2e	At least every 12 months	Every 24 months
50 to under 500 tCO2e	At least every 6 months	Every 12 months
500 tCO2e and above	At least every 3 months	Every 6 months

Equipment below 5 tCO2e does not trigger a mandatory periodic leak-check under the EU F-Gas Regulation, though best practice and insurance requirements often apply anyway. The tool flags which band your calculated charge falls into so you can schedule checks correctly.

Service ban and virgin-gas restriction

Refrigerants with a GWP at or above 2,500 — including R-404A and R-507A — face restrictions on using virgin (newly produced) HFC gas for servicing stationary refrigeration equipment. Reclaimed or recycled gas must be used where available. This restriction has been in effect in the EU since 2020 and is mirrored in the UK F-Gas Regulation post-Brexit. The tool flags any gas over the 2,500 GWP threshold to prompt compliance checks before you order stock.