Daikin Special Permit – DOT Approved Shipping of Equipment Containing A2L Refrigerants

Posted on:

August 10, 2023

Effective August 4, 2023, Daikin’s Special Permit, allowing shipment of charged equipment containing 12 kg – 20 kg of an A2L refrigerant, was approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation. See the Special Permit Authorization here. Other companies may sign on as parties to the permit by submitting an application like the example linked here.

A2L refrigerants are a class of refrigerants that have lower toxicity and flammability than A2 or A3 refrigerants. All common refrigerants are listed through the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in ASHRAE Standard 34. A2L refrigerants have lower flammability and toxicity than other classifications – A = non-toxic, 2 = flammable, L = low burning velocity – making it the second-safest refrigerant category. As of December 2018, more than 68 million air conditioners using A2L refrigerants have been installed worldwide.

Sufficient research has been completed to update safety standards. Over the last decade, nearly 7 million dollars in research investment has been funded by the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute; ASHRAE; the U.S. Department of Energy; and the California Air Resources Board to research low-global warming potential refrigerants concerning safety. Just like smoke detectors that have been in use for decades, the science and engineering community will continue to research ways to improve systems related to A2Ls. Other research is underway to summarize available data regarding combustion products to better respond to requests for that data. Like all refrigerants, specific codes, and standards apply to A2Ls.