ACR Journal

December 2021 | January 2022 REFRIGERANTS 18 A-Gas managing director John Ormerod explains how action can be taken to halt the import of illegal HFC refrigerants. Tackling illegal imports Volume 8 No.1 At A-Gas we take very seriously the threat to the industry caused by the black market in virgin HFC refrigerants across Europe. As part of our continued commitment to the phase down of HFCs and the industry achieving its climate goals, we welcomed the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) to our UK site at Portbury near Bristol. I was interviewed on video as part of the EIA’s latest investigation, Europe’s Most Chilling Crime , which uncovers the illegal trade of virgin HFC refrigerant gases across Europe. As reported previously, the video reveals how illegal imports are ignoring F-Gas Regulation, quotas and compromising efforts to change to gases with a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP). The trade in illegal virgin HFCs is also slowing the growth of circular economy initiatives, such as the recovery and reclamation of used gases, in which A-Gas John Ormerod is the market leader. To support these findings, A-Gas co- signed a letter submitted to the European Commission and its policymakers calling for stricter enforcement to put a stop to the HFC black market. Together with 52 other organisations, and representing more than 50,000 companies from across Europe, the aim is to end the illegal trade in HFCs. What was revealed by the EIA came as no surprise to most industry observers. This black market is undermining the core function of the F-Gas Regulations and cannot be allowed to continue in its present state. Border control This illegal trade is less of a problem in the UK as it is on mainland Europe. To some degree this is because we are an island and the sea presents a natural barrier to Installers should always buy from reputable suppliers