Refrigerant prices – the hot potato of the cooling industry
The dramatic rise in refrigerant prices has been a hot topic for some time. Due to the EU’s F-gas Regulation, quota-based quantitative restrictions have been imposed on refrigerant sales throughout the EU.
The quotas placed on producers and importers of refrigerants are based on the impact on the environment and climate, referred to as GWP values (global warming potential). Prices are rising and availability is hampered due to quotas reducing the manufacture and import of traditional high-GWP refrigerants.
Towards more environmentally friendly refrigerants
R404A, which is commonly used in the refrigeration equipment of food stores, is a high-GWP refrigerant. The F-gas Regulation requires that refrigeration equipment using high-GWP refrigerants be renewed in the next few years to enable the use of low-GWP refrigerants. Only 15 percent of Finland’s 2,500 food stores have shifted to using alternative refrigerants, so there is plenty of work still to do.
Darment does what it promises
Despite strong fluctuations in refrigerant prices, Darment wants to keep prices reasonable for its customers. This is possible by engaging in long-term cooperation with trustworthy refrigerant suppliers. We order large quantities of refrigerants at a time, which enables us to maintain the price levels we promise. New, more environmentally friendly refrigerants are being continuously developed and are included in our wide range of products.
At Darment, you only pay for the refrigerant, but get more besides. We use our own refrigerant cylinders, which are the best on the market, easy to use and ergonomic to transport. If necessary, we will also handle the appropriate disposal of the refrigerants on your behalf. You can buy an empty refrigerant cylinder from us and fill it with waste material. Our waste refrigerant service will transport the cylinders for disposal and return the empty cylinders to you. Upon request, you will receive a certificate confirming the disposal of the refrigerant in the appropriate manner.
Read more about our waste refrigerant service
Sources:
Kylmäaineiden valmistus, maahantuonti, myynti ja varastointi (Manufacture, import, sales and storage of refrigerants):
Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency Tukes. 11 September 2019.
Kylmäaineiden kiristyvät ympäristövaatimukset ja tulevaisuuden ratkaisut (Environmental Regulations on Refrigerant Industry and Future Solutions): Tuomas Collin. Thesis, Tampere University of Applied Sciences. 2019
Nyt tarvitaan malttia ja suunnitelmallisuutta, kylmäaineiden hinnat nousseet vauhdilla (Patience and planning is needed, refrigerant prices are rising fast): Finnish Refrigeration Enterprises Association (FREA). Press release, 10 September 2018.
HFC refrigerant prices continue to fall: The Cooling Post. 11 September 2019