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9
changing Market
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on R134a, R410A and R407C. Supplier National
Refrigerants announced similar increases from
January 1.
The “perfect storm” of swingeing cuts in HFC
availability next year and suppliers’ needs to
juggle production and import quotas is behind
the latest increases. Industry leaders have
long urged a rapid transition away from high
GWP gases and warned of high price rises and
possible scarcity of some gases.
The cap and phase down under the European
F-gas regulations is based on CO2 equivalents
(CO2e). This means that refrigerant producers
and suppliers, operating under a quota system,
are effectively able to place on the market far
more low GWP refrigerants than the higher GWP
gases.
Latest European Commission figures report
that the amount of HFC refrigerant placed on
the market in 2015 amounted to 168Mt CO2eq
– within the baseline cap amount for the year
of 183Mt CO2eq. Next year the industry, faced
with cuts of 37% of the baseline, must make do
on 115Mt CO2eq. This is a significant cut, but
industry pundits have further warned that as the
refrigerant contained in imported pre-charged
equipment is also to be included in that figure
for the first time, the cut is more like 44%.
Speaking at the European Eureka 2016
conference at the end of last year, UK
consultant Ray Gluckman warned of 2018
having the potential to be “an absolute disaster”
and called for more attention and action in the
transition away from high GWP refrigerants. At
the same event, AREA president Per Jonasson
warned that time was running out to switch to
lower GWP refrigerants and urged users to take
immediate action.