Worthington Nicholls to ensure IHG has regulatory compliance with new F Gas legislation

(06/07/2007)

European legislation introduced in 2000, banned the use of R22 as an ozone depleting substance and introduced a phase-out programme. As a result, the manufacture of new air conditioning equipment using R22 was discontinued in stages between 2001 and 2004 as manufacturers released equipment to operate on non-ozone depleting substances. The legislation decreed that existing installed systems may be serviced using new R22 until January 2010, after which time only recycled R22 could be used but not beyond 2015.

Worthington Nicholls Group plc has signed a multi million pound contract for nine years through to June 2016 with IHG Managed Services, part of the Intercontinental Hotels Group. The maintenance contract secured by Worthington Nicholls will cover the maintenance and extended warranty of the air conditioning units in guest bedrooms, public areas, back of house and Spirit Health Clubs across the UK and Ireland estate.

The agreement follows an initial extended warranty and maintenance contract awarded to WNG in 2003 for four years as part of the UK and Ireland air conditioning installation roll-out.

The contract Worthington Nicholls has secured will ensure IHG has regulatory compliance with new F Gas legislation, part of wider EU environmental legislation, which comes into force on 4 July 2007 and will involve the monitoring of all HCFC refrigerant compliance systems.

As part of the legislation, R22 refrigerants will be banned from 1 January 2015 and the new contract will take IHG through the R22 phase out period.

Mark Worthington, Chief Executive of Worthington Nicholls, said: “We are very pleased to have secured a large contract and at a significant stage in our growing relationship with IHG. The current EU legislation will ensure that companies have to make major changes to their air conditioning systems over the next seven years. We estimate that there are currently approximately one million units still in use in the UK alone, with a replacement and installation cost of over £7 billion.”

Related categories:  Air conditioning - commercial and industrial   Commercial and offices applications   Installation   Legislation and regulations 

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