BRL 100: the F-gas company certificate
BRL 100 is the assessment guideline for the F-gas company certificate. An installation or maintenance company that works for customers on refrigeration, air conditioning or heat pump systems with F-gases or natural refrigerants must hold this certificate. Since 1 September 2026, BRL 100 version 3.0 applies, with a transitional arrangement for companies that are already certified.
The company certificate is not separate from the fitters. You show that you have enough staff with a valid F-gas personal certificate, that your tools are in order and that you register your refrigerant properly. Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch national water and infrastructure agency) manages the guideline on behalf of the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth. The legal basis is the F-gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573.
BRL 100 in one sentence: an independent body has confirmed that your company takes measures to prevent F-gas leaks and works safely with natural refrigerants.
Who must be BRL 100 certified?
BRL 100 applies to companies that install, maintain, repair or decommission equipment for third parties. This covers the following equipment:
- stationary refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump installations
- organic Rankine cycles and stationary fire protection with F-gases
- cooling units of refrigerated trucks, refrigerated trailers, refrigerated containers and refrigerated railway wagons
A sole trader (zzp’er) who does this work needs a BRL 100 certificate in addition to their own personal certificate. See F-gas fitter as a sole trader for the details. A company with a refrigeration system for its own use does not need BRL 100, because it does not work for third parties. If the company’s own technical department works on the refrigerant circuit, those staff do need a personal certificate. A company that outsources work must first check that the subcontractor has the right certificates.
The sub-areas of BRL 100 version 3.0
Not every company works with all refrigerants. Ammonia requires different safety measures than a small propane installation. That is why you choose sub-areas.
| Sub-area | Refrigerants | Typical company |
|---|---|---|
| I | F-gases, hydrocarbons (such as propane, R290) and alternative extinguishing gases | Air conditioning and heat pump installer, commercial refrigeration |
| II | CO2 (R744) | Refrigeration for supermarkets and distribution centres |
| III | Ammonia (NH3, R717) | Industrial refrigeration, food industry |
You always start with the general part of BRL 100 and add the sub-areas that fit your work. If you expand later, for example to CO2, a separate extension audit follows.
What does BRL 100 require from your company?
The guideline covers four things: people, tools, registration and working method. This table shows what the auditor wants to see for each requirement.
| Requirement | What the auditor wants to see | Example of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Certified staff | Enough fitters with the right BRL 200 certificate for your sub-areas | List of fitters with category, certificate number and expiry date |
| Tools and measuring equipment | Leak detectors, scales and gauges that work and are calibrated | Calibration overview with dates and certificates |
| Refrigerant registration | What you buy, fill, recover and dispose of, per installation | Work orders, purchase invoices, disposal receipts |
| Leak prevention | Work instructions for leak checks, filling and recovery | Leak check work instruction with steps and criteria |
| Safety | Rules for flammable, toxic or high-pressure refrigerants | Risk assessment, instruction for working with propane |
| Quality system | Procedures that together form a working system | Quality manual or set of procedures |
You do not need a thick manual. An installation company with five fitters often gets by with a few procedures, a calibration list and well-completed work orders. If you want to know how to set up such a manual, look at the quality manual for ISO 9001.
Example: registering one job
A completed work order for a maintenance visit looks like this:
| Field | Completed |
|---|---|
| Date and customer | 14 October 2026, Bakkerij De Korenaar, Zwolle |
| Installation | Cold room, 6.0 kg R449A, serial number KC-2231 |
| Work | Leak check and replacement of the filter drier |
| Refrigerant recovered | 5.8 kg R449A, in cylinder C-118 |
| Refrigerant refilled | 6.0 kg R449A (5.8 kg recovered + 0.2 kg new) |
| Fitter | J. Bakker, personal certificate A1, number … |
| Company | Koeltechniek Zwolle B.V., BRL 100, number … |
The same details go to the customer’s logbook. This lets the auditor follow the refrigerant flow from purchase to disposal.
How does BRL 100 certification work?
The process with a certification body runs in five steps. Kiwa describes it this way, and other bodies follow a similar process.
Intake and quote
You tell the body which sub-areas you need. The body prepares a tailored quote.
Initial assessment
The auditor checks your quality system against BRL 100. If it goes well, you receive a provisional certificate.
Inspection within 6 months
The auditor observes real work. If you comply, you receive the final certificate.
Registration in the CRT
The body enters your certificate in the Centraal Register Techniek (CRT, Dutch central technical register) . This is legally required.
Periodic inspections
Inspections follow after that. At Kiwa, these take place at least once every 24 months.
For how an initial audit generally works, read the initial audit. For the costs, see costs of BRL 100 and the personal certificate.
Transition from BRL 100 version 2.0 to 3.0
BRL 100 version 3.0 was published on 8 December 2025. The new version extends certification to natural refrigerants. These are the dates that matter:
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 31 August 2026 | BRL 100 version 3.0 takes effect. New applications are only assessed against 3.0 |
| First regular audit after that | Becomes a transition audit. It replaces the regular audit, so there is no extra audit |
| 31 August 2028 | BRL 100 version 2.0 expires. Certificates on 2.0 remain valid until that date |
| 30 November 2028 | Final remediation deadline for companies with deviations at the end of the transition |
The full arrangement is in the explanation of the transitional arrangement . Are your fitters not all retrained yet? If they are demonstrably enrolled for training and exam, that is not directly a serious shortcoming.
Which body do you get BRL 100 from?
You choose a certification body yourself. It must be accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA, Raad voor Accreditatie) under NEN-EN-ISO/IEC 17065. IPLO names Bureau Veritas, CIBV, DEKRA, ECH-groep, Kiwa and SGS INTRON. Another scheme only counts if the minister has declared it equivalent, as with the STEK certificate (Dutch scheme).
Not sure which body to choose? Read how to choose a certification body and what accreditation means.
Common mistakes with BRL 100
- Fitters’ certificates expire unnoticed. Keep a list with expiry dates and plan exams well before 12 March 2029.
- Tools without calibration proof. A leak detector that works but is not calibrated produces a deviation.
- Refrigerant that goes nowhere. You bought 40 kg, refilled 25 kg and disposed of 5 kg. Where is the rest? The auditor will check the calculation.
- Outsourcing without checks. If you hire a sole trader, check their certificates in the CRT and keep a record of that check.
- Wrong sub-areas. You also do CO2 installations, but your certificate only covers sub-area I.
What if you do not have BRL 100?
Without a valid company certificate, you may not do this work. The ILT (Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate) can impose an order subject to penalty or a fine. Clients also increasingly check the CRT, just as they check other certificates. So start on time. From intake to final certificate takes at least several months.