GEISMAR, La., — Honeywell International Inc. has started commercial operations at a new plant in Geismar to produce HFO-1234yf mobile air conditioning refrigerant, sold commercially as Solstice yf.
Solstice yf was developed by Honeywell to replace R-134a, a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) that many governments and industries have been looking at phasing out.
Solstice yf has a global-warming-potential (GWP) of less than 1, which is lower than carbon dioxide and 99.9-percent lower than R-134a, which has a GWP of 1300, the company said.
"Solstice yf is a breakthrough innovation that is helping the auto industry transition to more environmentally preferable technologies without sacrificing performance," said Ken Gayer, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Fluorine Products.
"Honeywell invested significantly in research and development for more than a decade to enable our award-winning scientists to create new, near drop-in alternatives to meet the rising demand to replace HFCs. Solstice yf is one of the best solutions available to meet global requirements because it is safe for intended use and is capable of addressing both fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions."
Honeywell said it invested about $300 million in the construction and supply of the Geismar facility, creating hundreds of jobs for the local area. Geismar has increased its workforce by more than 20 percent to become what the company said is one of Honeywell's most advanced production sites. It will serve as the showcase for some of the company's own process and automation technologies, including Honeywell Connected Plant.
