Resumen de European acidspar market readies itself for F-Gas phase-downs

Industrial Minerals

• A core component of the F-Gas Regulation is the phase-down of supply of HFCs in the EU market. The regulation proposes that between 2015 and 2030, a reduction of 79% of HFC sales will be required compared to the baseline level. The baseline HFC sales are measured in tonnes of CO[subscript]2 equivalent and are weighted according to the GWP of the gas.

  The EU's F-Gas phase-down will be administered through a sales quota scheme, whereby only companies with an HFC quota will be allowed to produce or import HFC in the EU. The quota scheme is expected to promote the phase-down of the highest GWP gases first, because the baseline consumption is represented in terms of tonnes of CO[subscript]2.

  The phase-down may also promote the use of alternatives to HFCs that have especially low GWP values. For example, the fluorine-based replacement hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) 1234yf has a GWP of 4. However, not-in-kind replacements such as propane (GWP of 3) and CO[subscript]2 (GWP of 1) could take market share away from fluorine-containing refrigerants and reduce demand along the HF and acidspar feedstock supply chain.