Hydrocarbons being sold as F-gas replacements
13th July 2024
SPAIN: The authorities in Spain have arrested six people for selling flammable hydrocarbon refrigerants online as replacements for F-gases.
The detainees, from a company in Granada, were said to be selling various types of hydrocarbon refrigerant on the internet, giving incorrect instructions on their use and handling. They are charged with the crimes of risk of destruction, fraud, document falsification and belonging to a criminal organisation.
Around 30 tonnes of gas were involved in the operation was carried out in the provinces of Alicante, Granada, Lleida and Valencia as part of the Guardia Civil’s Operation Ecogas.
The investigations began when the agents detected sales of refrigerant gases on various websites, where they were advertised as substitutes for fluorinated gases for refrigeration and air conditioning.
In a statement, the Guardia Civil said: “The substitution of fluorinated gases by gases originating from hydrocarbons is a highly dangerous practice, in addition to being prohibited for refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, due to the extreme inflammability of these gases.
“The false properties that the announcements attributed to these gases were not correct, since they offered them as substitutes for fluorinated gases and invited buyers to use them themselves, something totally prohibited by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism.”
Spain has reported an increase in fires in cars and air conditioners in recent months, which the Guardia Civil attributes due to the prohibited use of this type of refrigerant.
Inspections carried out by the Guardia Civil’s environmental police, Seprona, are also said to have exposed “serious errors” in the safety data sheets and incorrect safe storage instructions for these products.
