EUROPE: Prices of higher GWP refrigerants rose significantly in 2021, with R134a, in particular, up by 15% on average across the supply chain.

CHINA: Hermetic reciprocating compressors running on hydrocarbon refrigerants now account for around 80% of sales in China’s home market, with R134a units being mainly produced for export.
According to the latest report by UK market consultants, BSRIA, the total sales volume of Chinese hermetic reciprocating compressors reached about 200 million units in 2020, rising by 14.5%. The domestic market grew 15.6% to 130 million units with the export market increasing by about 12.4% to 71 million units.

BELGIUM: Daikin is the latest air conditioning and heat pump manufacturer to suspend business in Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement the Japanese manufacturer announced: “Daikin’s entities in Europe have suspended business in Russia in consideration of the current situation of economic, logistics and others.”

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F-gas revision promises steeper phase down
2022-03-24
EUROPE: Proposals to accelerate the phase down of refrigerants under the European F-gas regulations could see the current allowable quota slashed by around 50% in 2024.

A man who smuggled 2,300 cylinders of ozone-depleting HCFC refrigerant R22 into the US has been fined $250,000.
Faiz Abdallahi (56) pleaded guilty in October 2021 to the improper importation of a class II substance, a felony under the USA’s Federal Clean Air Act. He was also sentenced to three years’ probation.

Backed by a war chest of JPY600bn ($5.2bn), Daikin is reported to be considering the acquisition of European heat pumps sales and service companies and refrigerated display case manufacturers.

This year’s World Refrigeration Day on June 26 will take the theme Cooling Matters in an effort to raise public awareness of the essential benefits of refrigeration technologies.
Speaking at a side session during the AHR Expo in Las Vegas, World Refrigeration Day founder Steve Gill said: “Our objective is to make the public aware of cooling’s essential benefits, how cooling impacts daily life, and how technology choices foster environmental well-being of future generations.”

The Italian government has passed the law to ratify and implement the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down HFC refrigerants.

Honeywell has announced a new non-flammable refrigerant for medium temperature commercial refrigeration applications with a GWP of less than 150.
The arrival of R471A, which Honeywell has branded Solstice N71, could provide a solution to end-users struggling to comply with new standards, including those in the UK, EU and California that restrict refrigerants with a GWP greater than 150 in new systems.

British company A-Gas has broken into the Japanese refrigerant reclamation market with the acquisition of Tokyo-based FUSO Co Ltd.
A-Gas says that the Japanese market has been one of its long-term growth targets given the country’s focus on environmental regulation and the high levels of recovery and reclamation of refrigerant gas.