Chemours to build world’s largest HFO plant

USA: Chemours is to build the world’s largest HFO refrigerant facility at its Corpus Christi site in Ingleside, Texas.

The new $230m plant will triple Chemours’ capacity to produce HFO-1234yf and other low GWP refrigerant blends. Start-up expected in the third quarter of 2018.  

Rumours surfaced in February that Ingleside was to be the site of an R1234yf plant, after Chemours applied for an air permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

“This is another step in our transformation plan, and is a shining example of how Chemours is investing in innovative growth opportunities as we become a higher value chemistry company, delivering essential solutions that improve the quality of life,” commented president and CEO Mark Vergnano.

This investment will create the world’s largest facility for manufacturing HFOs, and will serve the growing market in North America and Europe, as well as the rest of the world.

Chemours said its expanded capacity will meet customer needs in the face of exponential growth in demand for its fourth generation, low GWP Opteon brand products. The company estimates that 40 million cars using R1234yf will be on the road by end of 2017, growing to 140 million by end of 2020. In addition, it says that one thousand supermarket and commercial refrigeration systems worldwide will be using Opteon XP40 by end of 2016, growing to as many as 10,000 systems by end of 2020.

Opteon XP40, aka R449A, is DuPont’s flagship low GWP, non-flammable replacement for R404A and R507A in new and existing stationary commercial refrigeration systems. Its GWP of 1397 is significantly lower than the two refrigerants it is designed to replace.

Related stories:

https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/chemours-plays-down-plans-for-us-1234yf-plant/

https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/duponts-new-low-gwp-refrigerant-trio/