World News

Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World

UK News

Latest news and developments in the United Kingdom

Products

Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology

Features

General articles, applications and industry analysis

Europe sits on huge HFC stockpile

F-gas-importsEUROPE: Shocking new figures reveal evidence of huge European stockpiling of HFC refrigerants in advance of the 2015 F-gas quotas.

The startling figures for 2014, just released by the European Environment Agency, show that imports of HFC refrigerants into Europe almost doubled to 122,781 tonnes (260.9Mt CO2‑equivalent) in 2014, the year before quotas under the European F-gas regulations were introduced.

This huge stockpile is thought to be the reason why refrigerant prices, particularly for the higher GWP gases, have not risen as predicted by many industry experts.

While bulk imports of fluorinated gases had been declining from 2010 to 2013, HFC bulk imports in 2014 were approximately 90% above 2013 levels, both by mass and CO2‑equivalent.

The figures are based on submissions by companies on the production, import and export of fluorinated greenhouse gases in the European Union for 2014, the first year of compulsory reporting under the new F-gas regulation 517/2014.

Fluorinated-greenhouse-gases-

Leaving aside the other fluorinated greenhouse gases (SF6, PFCs, etc), HFCs are said to account for about 95% of the increase in bulk imports and around 75% of all reported imports were destined for use as refrigerants for refrigeration, air conditioning and heating purposes.

Although supplies intended for use in air conditioning and refrigeration had been static or declining in recent years, 2014 saw a huge increase to 92,958 – a 73% increase on the previous year and a 36% increase on the peak year for HFC supply in 2010.

In contrast to the rise in imports, EU production of HFCs declined for the fourth consecutive year. Production measured in tonnes experienced a year-on-year decline of 15%, or 11% in terms of CO2‑equivalents, to 31,050 tonnes. Reportable HFC production in Europe was limited to just six HFCs – 134a, 365mfc, 143a, 32, 227ea and 23. The supply of the other 19 fluorinated gases used in the EU in 2014 was provided by imports.

Reporting of imports and production became compulsory in 2014 and led to a significant rise in reporting companies. For 2014, the number of reporting companies tripled compared with 2013 to 468. The European Environment Agency attributes the increase to the addition for the first time of importers of products and equipment containing reportable fluorinated gases and to new bulk importers of gases.

Latest News

21st November 2024

Ideal receives £5.2m government funding boost

UK: Heat pump manufacturer Ideal Heating and its hot water cylinder manufacturing sister company Gledhill have received almost £5.2m from the UK government.
21st November 2024

Poland seizes 115 tonnes of F-gas

POLAND: At least 115 tonnes of F-gas are said to have been seized in Poland as part of a European crackdown on the illegal F-gas trade.
21st November 2024

EU crackdown disrupts illegal HFC trade

BELGIUM: A six-month operation to disrupt the illegal trade in refrigerant gases has intercepted more than 400,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent material. 
21st November 2024

UK government boost for heat pumps

UK: The UK government has announced a boost for heat pumps with an extra £30m for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the relaxing of planning application rules.
20th November 2024

EIA survey finds leaks at 50% of stores

USA: An undercover investigation claims to have detected HFC refrigerant leaks at 50% of supermarkets visited in Northern California.
20th November 2024

Police bust scrap AC network

SPAIN: The Civil Guard says it has uncovered a network dedicated to illegal handling of refrigerant and waste electrical and electronic equipment.