EU ban on common refrigerants would ‘burden' plastics industry

Plastics processors have been warned that EU proposals to tax and ban commonly used refrigerants could result in higher costs for the vital cooling equipment on which the industry depends.

The European Parliament is currently considering banning the sale of cooling equipment containing high global warming HFC refrigerants from 2020. It is also considering imposing a European-wide tax on HFC refrigerants from 2018, at a rate of E10 (Euros) for every tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent.

HFC refrigerants are widely used in industrial chillers used to cool plastics injection moulding machines and in air conditioning systems. The tax would cost companies up to E1.2bn (Euros) a year, it is estimated.

“Given the tough economic conditions, this additional burden will not be welcomed by those whose businesses rely on HFC refrigerants for cooling,” commented Jan Thorpe, Event Director for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Show 2014.

“The majority of companies who use cooling are SMEs, and many are already facing difficulties. We fully support the aims of the EU to protect the environment and minimise the release of global warming refrigerants to the atmosphere. However, many see the current proposals as heavy-handed at a time when industry can ill-afford the burden of additional costs.”

The issue will be a key topic in the seminars being held alongside the ACR Show 2014 at the NEC in Birmingham in February. The Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) is joining forces with the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) to update visitors on progress in lobbying the European Commission to amend the controversial proposals. There will also be briefings from the UK’s leading refrigerant suppliers on the latest alternatives to HFCs.