Prices of refrigerants R134a and R32 saw significant increases in Europe in the third quarter of this year compared to Q2.
Latest findings from Öko-Recherche show average increases of 11% across the supply chain, while prices in China have actually dropped. The price of R32 was up 18% at contractor level.
Prices for the high GWP gases/blends R134a and R410A have been on the increase since Q3/2021 (on average up by 42% and 16%, respectively, throughout the supply chain). Most EU suppliers indicated that they had stopped selling virgin R404A.
Prices of alternatives such as HFC/HFO blends mostly showed decreases in comparison to the previous quarter; R448A, R449A and R452A went down by 3%, 1% and 2%, respectively.
Supplies of refrigerant were generally reported as being stable during the period, although there were a few reports of limited regional availability of R1234ze.
The price of quota authorisations increased, with prices ranging from EUR10 to EUR15/tCO2e. Average authorisation prices, at around EUR12/tCO2e increased by 90% compared to the previous quarter.
Compared to 2014, prices of R134a have seen a six-fold increase, while R410A is up to four-times higher. Compared to Chinese producer prices, European selling prices for R134a are three-times higher.