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Europe
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In Europe, the 2006 adoption of the F-Gas Directive clearly sets out the regime for the use of HFCs and is focused on the containment of gases during their lifetime in use. Stringent requirements are set for the maintenance of equipment, service standards and accountability for gas charges in equipment. This will lead to reduced growth in virgin product sales where effective containment and reduced leakage rates will to an extent compensate for any growth in new installed equipment. However, it will lead to rapid growth in reclaim and recovery requirements across the industry to the extent that “life cycle” management becomes the main driving dynamic of the refrigerant gas market.
Alongside HFC usage, there will be increased use of so called “natural refrigerants” such as hydrocarbons and CO2 wherever safe and economically viable. The majority of smaller hermetically sealed refrigerant compressors used with relatively small charges of gas such as domestic refrigerators and smaller glass-fronted refrigerated drinks display units have already moved to hydrocarbons.
Similarly, it is likely that increased use of CO2 will occur as compressor manufacturers offer this as an option. However, the design engineering demands and service standards required to work with such high pressured gas is likely to impact on the extent to which this alternative is commercially viable. Commercial refrigeration in the UK is dominated by the major food retailers and some larger stores may adopt refrigeration systems employing alternatives such as CO2 or ammonia (sometimes in combination with an HFC system) but these are likely to be only suitable in specifically designed new stores of a size to warrant the increased cost and complexity of such systems.
The effectiveness of the F-Gas Directive will be evaluated by the end of 2008 and further regulation could occur if the goal of lifetime containment appears to be slipping. In any event, A-Gas is likely to be in a strong position to gain from further regulation as a result of:
? Growth of its environmental services in the reclaim and recovery of refrigerants;
? Its ability to offer a full range of refrigerant gases including drop-in replacements, CO2 and, if required, ammonia and hydrocarbons; and
? Market rationalisation opportunities.
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Australian Regulatory overview – HCFC Quota
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The Montreal Protocol is given force in Australia under the Commonwealth Ozone Protection Act. It has already overseen the phase out of CFC based products and post 1996 became focussed on the ultimate phase out of the transitionary HCFC based products. Under the Australian regulatory framework, industry participants wishing to import HCFC based products post 1995 were required to apply for a restricted substance licence. Thereafter the collective HCFC imports of the Australian industry were monitored by the Australian Government. Provided the total of these imports remained under the legislated HCFC cap threshold, the market was allowed to operate as a free market. Should the collective imports of licensees exceed 90% of the import HCFC cap then the Government was obliged to impose an import quota regime.
This threshold was exceeded in 1997 and HCFC quotas were imposed in 1999 based on individual market shares in 1996. In effect market shares where “grandfathered” under a Government sponsored quota, against a backdrop of continuous demand and reducing supply.
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