A project of UNIDO, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning and REC
The choice of technology, the refrigerant and regular maintenance directly affect energy consumption and emissions.
National overview
Twenty-eight refrigerants with status, GWP and substitutes. The code is printed on the outdoor unit label.
Training for technicians
The new refrigerants call for new habits. Registration is free and places are limited.
News
The second workshop in the series brought together representatives of municipalities, state institutions, inspectorates, the pharmaceutical and food industries and chambers of commerce.
The second workshop in the series brought together representatives of municipalities, state institutions, inspectorates, the pharmaceutical and food …
Read → 20 May 2026Ammonia, carbon dioxide, propane and isobutane. The fluids refrigeration began with are coming back, this time because of the climate.
Read → 5 May 2026The workshop held on 5 May 2026 in Skopje brought together 68 representatives from industry, banking, retail, healthcare and academia.
Read →National overview of refrigerants
If you operate refrigeration or air-conditioning equipment, some of the refrigerants in it are already banned from import and others fall under a shrinking annual quota. Here you can see what replaces what, what the law requires, and who to turn to.
Open the overview →Operates at roughly 60% higher pressure than R-22 and therefore requires equipment designed for it. Dominant in split air conditioning from the 2000s onwards.
Split and multi-split air conditioning.
Replacement must be carried out by a certified technician. Class A2L and A3 refrigerants are flammable and require specific installation conditions.
A near-azeotropic blend for low- and medium-temperature commercial refrigeration. It has the highest GWP of any refrigerant in wide use and is therefore first in line for replacement.
Commercial refrigeration and cold rooms.
Replacement must be carried out by a certified technician. Class A2L and A3 refrigerants are flammable and require specific installation conditions.
The replacement for R-12 in display cabinets, chillers and mobile air conditioning. Requires polyol ester oil and must not be mixed with mineral oil.
Display cabinets, chillers, mobile air conditioning.
Replacement must be carried out by a certified technician. Class A2L and A3 refrigerants are flammable and require specific installation conditions.
Introduced as a transitional replacement for R-22 in existing equipment. It has a pronounced temperature glide, so charging requires care and must always be done in the liquid phase.
Was used as a replacement for R-22.
Replacement must be carried out by a certified technician. Class A2L and A3 refrigerants are flammable and require specific installation conditions.
Azeotropic, so it has no temperature glide. Used alongside R-404A in low-temperature refrigeration and has a similarly very high GWP.
Low-temperature refrigeration.
Replacement must be carried out by a certified technician. Class A2L and A3 refrigerants are flammable and require specific installation conditions.
A long-standing standard in air conditioning and commercial refrigeration. Works with mineral oil, which made component replacement easier, but it contains chlorine and is therefore being phased out.
Complete phase-out foreseen by 2028. Import of equipment containing it has been banned since 2012.
Replacement must be carried out by a certified technician. Class A2L and A3 refrigerants are flammable and require specific installation conditions.
Challenges, good practices and future outlook: who has already moved to more efficient technologies, what holds the others back, and what is needed to accelerate modernisation.
UNIDO Raising public awareness of energy efficiency in the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector, within the pilot project on the HFC phase-down. Implemented in cooperation with the National …
Open → Civica MobilitasIntroducing a system for separation, preparation and selective collection of bio-waste for composting, with activities in primary schools in Skopje.
Open →
Energy Efficiency in the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Sector
