Singapore to strengthen GHG regulations in October 2022

On February 17, 2022, the Singapore National Environment Agency (NEA) released a circular titled “Reminder for Companies to Send Chiller Technicians for Certification to Comply with Upcoming Legislations under the Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA).” In Singapore, section 3 of the Environmental Protection and Management (Amendment) Act 2021, which regulates products that require greenhouse gases (GHG products) and all activities that involve the use or handling of greenhouse gases (GHG operations), will come into effect on October 1, 2022, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (*1). The specific product names and operation contents of GHG products and GHG operations are to be determined by separate laws and regulations in the future. However, according to this circular, the installation, maintenance and removal of water-cooled chillers will be GHG operations subject to regulation. In order to obtain certification as a person performing these operations, the NEA requires chiller technicians to take a chiller refrigerant handling course.

(*1) “Environmental Protection and Management (Amendment) Act 2021 (Commencement) Notification 2022”
https://sso.agc.gov.sg/SL/S105-2022?DocDate=20220225

The circular can be viewed at the following URL:
https://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/resource/circulars/20220217_nea-cmd-circular-epma-00001-2022.pdf

Beginning in October 2022, companies providing installation, maintenance, or removal services for water-cooled chillers will be required to:

• Employ at least one certified chiller technician (*2)
• Ensure that water-cooled chiller installation, maintenance, or removal operations (regulated GHG operations) involving the handling of HFC-based refrigerants with a global warming factor (GWP) greater than 15 are performed by or under the direct supervision of at least one certified chiller technician.
• Register with the NEA as a refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) service company (*3)
• Maintain and comply with policies, procedures, and processes for carrying out GHG operations and provide adequate equipment for such operations
• Maintain and submit appropriate records of regulated GHG operations

(*2) To be certified as a certified chiller technician, you must take the chiller refrigerant handling training course conducted by Temasek Polytechnic and pass the assessment. In order to be certified by October 1, 2022, NEA recommends that companies take the chiller refrigerant handling training course. Details of the course and application can be confirmed at the following URL:
https://www.tp.edu.sg/schools-and-courses/adult-learners/all-courses/skillsfuture-series/refrigerant-handling-for-chiller.html

(*3) The NEA will also inform the industry about the online registration system in Q3 2022.

In addition, according to another circular published by the NEA in October 2021, the import or supply of the following RAC equipment to Singapore will be restricted from October 2022.

• Domestic air conditioners that use a refrigerant with a GWP of more than 750 (single-phase, single-split or multi-split room air conditioners without ducts with a cooling capacity of 17.6 kW or less)
• Domestic refrigerators that use a refrigerant with a GWP of more than 15 (single phase, adjustable internal volume up to 900 L)
• Water-cooled chillers that use a refrigerant with a GWP of more than 15 (cooling capacity of more than 1,055 kW, used for air conditioning purposes)

The circular published by the NEA in October 2021 can be viewed at the following URL.
https://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/circular-on-epm(amendment)-bill-to-mitigate-emissions-of-refrigerants-with-high-gwp-used-in-rac-equipment.pdf