International. Aefyt, Association of Cold Companies and their Technologies, a representative group of the cold industry in Spain, warns about a very possible shortage of HFCs refrigerant gases from 2018, especially R-404A and R-507A, which will practically disappear.
The association indicates that the allocation of quotas, expressed in equivalent GWP (Global Warming Potential), to each producer or importer derived from the application of the European F-Gas Regulation has caused an anomalous scenario in terms of the availability of refrigerant gases in the market. This has been aggravated by the shortage of fluorite, a basic component in the manufacture of fluorinated gases such as R-125 and R-32, as well as in the mixtures that contain them.
This situation will be aggravated in 2018, when European market shares will experience a further cut of 37% until the end of 2020; a cut to which must be added 11% of imported gases, so the total reduction will be equivalent to 48%. This fact will mark a before and after in the availability and price of refrigerant gases.
The big problem facing the cold industry stems from the fact that not all refrigerants currently marketed have a direct substitute for lower GWP. In addition, the uses and applications of some of the new alternatives of the L2 group (slightly flammable) are restricted pending the approval and publication of a new safety regulation that modifies their treatment. Both Aefyt and other European associations have long warned that, despite the industry's efforts, the state of the art of technology is not in a position to meet legislative requirements and faces a possible shortage.
Faced with this situation, Aefyt has advised its associates to contact their refrigerant suppliers to analyze the availability for 2018 of the different refrigerants necessary for both new equipment and the maintenance of existing ones.
Source: Aefyt.
