Supporting EU F-gas Policy

For now and until 2018 Öko-Recherche is working on a number of tasks for the EU Commission (Directorate General Climate) regarding the implementation of the new EU F-gas Regulation No. 517/2014.

This includes among others the following:

• Analysis of alternatives in commercial refrigeration: Direct expansion of refrigerants with a GWP >150 will be banned in commercial multi-pack centralized refrigeration systems >40 kW from 2022 on (Annex III of the EU F-gas Regulation). We are evaluating technological options available to manufacturers and operators and why they are implemented. This task relies on feedback from manufacturers, service companies and operators gathered via this questionnaire. Relevant stakeholders are kindly asked to participate in the survey and to return a completed version to the relevant email address (questionnaire@oekorecherche.de).
   
• Monitoring of HFC prices: It is assumed that the measures of the new EU F-gas Regulation will result in price increases for HFCs. Especially the so-called "phase-down" - essentially a stepwise reduction of the amounts of HFCs that can be placed on the EU market - as well as individual bans can contribute to price increases. We are evaluating whether this is in fact the case and to which extent individual HFCs are subject to price increases.

  The monitoring of HFC prices builds on a baseline of historical price developments under another contract but is meant to expand the scope significantly. A cooperation with the German Association of refrigeration and air conditioning service companies (Verband Deutscher Kälte-Klima-Fachbetriebe or VDKF) and associations in other EU countries allows for a detailed assessment of HFC prices at different points in the supply chain. Separate questionnaires for service companies and manufacturers (or OEMs) serve as a basis for the assessment.

• Analysis of the quota allocation mechanism and authorizations: According to the new F-gas Regulation the "phase-down" is implemented via a quota system. Companies that wish to place HFCs on the EU market participate and receive quota from the EU Commission. In cooperation with Öko-Institut e.V. we are assessing the experience with the quota allocation and authorizations to date with the aim to identify potential problems and to develop suggestions for an improvement of the mechanism.

Documents:
- Articel concerning the monitoring of HFC prices
- DG Clima Questionnarie on low-GWP alternatives

- EU F-gas Regulation No. 517/2014
- Letter of Recommendation

- Price-Monitoring Questionnaire OEMs
- Price-Monitoring Questionnaire service companies

- HFC quota survey OVERVIEW for companies