Page last updated : 30/06/2010

Perfluorocarbons - PFCs

Source : CITEPA / SECTEN format - April 2010

Survey period : since 1990

Comments

In 2008, PFC emissions represented 554 kt CO₂ equivalent (CO₂). Emissions dropped since 1990 as they fell by almost 87% (-3 739 kt CO₂).

The manufacturing industry sector accounted for the entire PFC emissions.

The sectors contributing to PFC emissions were :

After having fallen sharply, between 1990 and 1996, as a result of improvements in the aluminium electrolysis process, PFC emissions have much fluctuated these last years due to the rise in production of aluminium coupled with a non-optimum control and with the development of the semiconductor industry. In 2000 and 2001 emission control in the aluminium industry has improved, resulting in a further reduction in emissions thus residual difficulties in 2002 and 2003.

The decline observed since 2004 was a result of, in one hand, the closing down of two industries of aluminium production, one in 2003 and the other one in 2008, with however a steady production. An improvement in efficiency at another aluminium industry has allowed to reduce moreover the emissions in 2005.

Compared to HFCs, the GWP of the PFCs emitted are in a narrower fork, from 6 500 to 9 200, whereas for HFCs, it is spread out from 140 to 11 700. The evolution in mass of the emissions is thus very similar to that in equivalent CO₂, more especially as the structure of the emissions in terms of chemical species does not evolve much. PFC emissions in mainland France in mass have evolved from 587 t in 1990 to 76 t in 2008, a fall of 87% approximately over this period.