Online platform will trade used HFC refrigerants

EUROPE: With an increasing need to utilise recovered and recycled HFC refrigerants, Europe is set to witness the launch of an online platform dedicated to trading used F-gases.  

With supplies of certain virgin HFCs coming under increasing pressure due to the European F-gas phasedown, the Retradeables website will offer “a transparent and competitive marketplace” for the buying and selling of used F-gases across Europe. 

Retradeables will be the only online platform where the installers and distributors in EU member states can connect to recover, recycle and reuse F-gas supplies and trade amongst each other in a controlled and regulated environment. 

The website is being run by a consortium of Daikin Europe, the Society for Materials and Energy Applications (MAT4NRG) and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). It has been funded by the LIFE Programme, the European Union’s financial instrument supporting environmental, nature conservation and climate action projects.

Pilot projects have already been pioneered in Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia. For the first testing phase, two distributors and eight installers were invited to register and test the environment. The official launch is expected this month.

Those behind the initiative say: “We want to give influential decision makers a critical edge by connecting them to a dynamic network of recycling and reclaiming data, industry contacts and live prices.”

Seeking to build a responsible and viable circular economy for used F-gases, Retradeables says the online marketplace will provide the sustainable solution for installers and distributors to extend their existing stock with used F-gases reclaimed to their original industry standard, to service the surging needs of their clients. 

While it is free to join Retradeables through an online registration process, it is only open to properly certified companies. Prospective members will be required to provide a VAT number, F-gas certificate number and upload a copy of their valid certificate to the site.

Members will gain access to a live online exchange for the collection, reclamation and trade of used F-gas. Supply and demand will be monitored and guaranteed by data for full transparency 

Once part of Retradeables, members will simply log-in, and search for sellers of reclaimed F-gas or for buyers of their own used F-gas. It will display F-gas type, quality, quantity and price.

Further information here.