German eBay awash with illegal R134a
30th July 2018
GERMANY: With European authorities still reluctant to recognise the extent of illegal refrigerant sales, the Cooling Post has uncovered large amounts of illegal R134a being sold in Germany.
A simple search on Monday of the German online classified advertising site eBay Kleinanzeigen, an off-shoot of the main eBay.de auction site, revealed more than 80 separate German vendors offering R134a in illegal disposable cylinders.
Launched in 2009, eBay Kleinanzeigen provides an online classifieds experience on a local basis. It claims over 17 million visitors each month, and is already said to have outstripped its sister site eBay.de. Like many auction sites across Europe, the main German auction site, eBay.de, also carries adverts for illegal refrigerant but not in nearly the same quantities as can be found on eBay Kleinanzeigen.
From cities and towns across Germany, R134a is being offered on eBay Kleinanzeigen in illegal 13.6kg disposable cylinders at prices of around €300 to €450. Most appear to be of Chinese origin but some well-known European brands also appear in the mix.
Total quantities available are difficult to estimate but many vendors appear to have access to reasonable quantities with offers of discounts for multiple cylinders and one seller offering lots of 10 cylinders at a price of €3,200. The type of vendor also varies but most appear to be linked to the car auto trade, a large user of R134a.
Other refrigerants, including R404A, R407C and R410A in disposable cylinders are also being offered but, admittedly, not in the same quantity as R134a.
In all the cases mentioned the refrigerant is being sold in non-refillable, disposable cylinders – a type of container which was banned in Europe in 2007. They were banned for valid environmental reasons; in addition to being throw-away items, a “heel” of gas is always left behind in the cylinder upon disposal. In some instances, the heel could be as much as 5% of the cylinder’s capacity.
It is also unclear whether these refrigerants are being brought in under the European F-gas quota system, but their packaging and sales methods suggest they are not.
None of the vendors quote the requirement for purchasers to be F-gas registered. A very small minority quote the previous EU regulation 842/2006 and state: “With the purchase of this product, you expressly confirm that you are knowledgeable in terms of the above-mentioned regulations (ChemKlimaschutzV & EC Regulation No 842/2006) and therefore the use of the refrigerant is carried out by a qualified person.”
As well as concerns that the cylinders, much of it in generic, non-branded Chinese packaging, are not made to European manufacturing and safety standards, there are worries as to the purity of the contents. In 2011, contaminated R134a of Chinese origin caused significant problems around the world. The worst, a deadly cocktail of methyl chloride and R22 sold as R134a, caused a number of explosions and deaths, and grounded thousands of refrigerated containers.
The huge refrigerant price increases in Europe as a consequence of the F-gas phase down, is sucking in illegal gas from outside. Already this month, Greece and Poland have spoken out about the mass of illegal refrigerant crossing their borders and sales on the internet.
The Polish refrigerant association PROZON estimates that at least 30% of R134a currently used in car air conditioning by repair workshops is from questionable or simply illegal sources. With a 13.6kg disposable cylinder of R134a currently available from China for as little as $30 (€26), or less, the potential profits for unscrupulous traders is obvious.
Related stories:
ICOOL acts on illegal refrigerant sales – 10 August 2018
CHINA: Chinese refrigerant supplier ICOOL has taken swift action after finding its refrigerant was being sold in illegal disposable cylinders in the EU. Read more…
Poland swamped by illegal refrigerant – 25 July 2018
POLAND: A leading refrigerants organisation has reported a “massive inflow” of illegal HFCs into Poland. Read more…
Illegal refrigerant costs Greece €20m – 23 July 2018
GREECE: The Greek air conditioning and refrigeration industry has accused EU member state Bulgaria as being a gateway for illegal refrigerant from Albania, Macedonia and Turkey. Read more…
Cantas “shock” at illegal imports – 13 July 2018
TURKEY: Istanbul-based refrigerant supplier Cantas has reacted with shock to learn that its refrigerant is being imported into the UK in illegal non-refillable cylinders. Read more…
Government rejects F-gas concerns – 10 July 2018
UK: The UK government insists it will maintain the HFC phase down post-Brexit but has ignored claims that the Environment Agency does not have the adequate resources to tackle compliance. Read more…
UK failing to enforce F-gas regulations – 25 April 2018
UK: The Environmental Audit Committee has expressed concern that the Environment Agency is under-resourced and failing to adequately investigate “large levels of non-compliance” with the F-gas regulations. Read more…
UK a hub for illegal refrigerant sales – 23 March 2018
UK: There are concerns that the UK has become a centre for sales of refrigerant in illegal disposable cylinders, a container which has been banned from use in Europe for over 10 years. Read more…
Phase down sparks rise in illegal sales – 21 March 2018
EUROPE: With the F-gas regulations beginning to bite and higher GWP refrigerants becoming expensive and scarce, evidence of illegal imports and sales is increasing. Read more…
