Vaulx-Millieu, France, 22 April 2019: The refrigeration market in western Europe is now moving from the refrigerant, R-22 to R-404a; however, France will soon ban R-404a, said Lionel Audouy, Global Platform Director – Sales and Logistics, Tecumseh Europe, while giving an update on the use of refrigerants and the market in France and, generally, in western Europe. “With R-404a soon to be gone, we see regulation around the use of F-gas, where the focus will be on meeting customer demands, choosing the right products, and training people to work on the job,” Audouy said.

Lionel Audouy

The market in western Europe, he said, is heavily regulated when it concerns matters related to refrigerant reclaim. “If you’re working in the refrigeration business,” Audouy said, “you need to have a certificate and show the quantity of refrigerant being collected.” He highlighted a few stressors influencing the market in western Europe, and said that managing leaks in systems while lowering the Global Warming Potential (GWP) and the need for skilled and trained professionals working on the job were the major factors influencing the market.