Focus Projects

01.06.2021

RETRADEABLES, the first European trading platform for used fluorinated gases

Thanks to the Life3R Project, RETRADEABLES promotes an alternative source for the supply of refrigerant gases
RETRADEABLES, the first European trading platform for used fluorinated gases, has been launched. This is the first marketplace for the circular economy of refrigerants extracted from HVAC-R equipment under a market mechanism and it was created with the purpose of creating a transparent and competitive platform for the sale and purchase of used F-gases in Europe by harnessing technology and innovation.

RETRADEABLES was made possible thanks to the Life3R project, funded by the LIFE European programme and made up of a consortium of EU-based partners (including Daikin, the National Technical University of Athens and mat4nrg -The Society for Materials and Energy Applications) which decided to face up to the challenges of the refrigeration and air conditioning market by supporting global demand within the context of Europe’s carbon-neutrality goals.

In line with EU's climate and sustainability policies, the RETRADEABLES platform promotes an alternative source for the supply of refrigerant gases through the recovery of existing used F-gas stocks in the market. The gases are recovered, brought back to their original industrial standard, and then sold on this reliable network.

The refrigeration and air conditioning industry is undergoing a difficult situation, currently performing a balancing act between the growing global demand and gradually reducing F-gas supply. In addition, F-gases are creating a number of environmental and economic issues, such as illegal trading and illegal disposal practices (or release to the atmosphere of used F-gases due to their high disposal costs). This is why the European RETRADEABLES platform is the perfect solution for reusing used gases in a sustainable way.

"2021 brings challenges to our society, as we strive to meet increased customer demand whilst complying with stringent environmental regulations. Consequently, the reuse of existing gas stocks becomes an imperative next step for us all. RETRADEABLES provides a sustainable market-wide solution for the reuse of existing gas in the marketplace, enabling the reduction of carbon emissions and concurrent growth of society. RETRADEABLES is an example of the sector collaborating to increase used refrigerant recovery, recycling and reclamation, in other words creating the circular use of refrigerants across Europe, supporting the European Commission’s goal of Carbon Neutrality by 2050”, said Wim de Schacht, Vice-President of Daikin Europe.


But how does the platform work?


The way RETRADEABLES works and its navigation are very simple. Users wanting to sell used F-gases can get in touch with other installers and distributors by listing their used gas for sale. They can enter an appraisal of the quality of their gas and the price they want to sell it at inside the platform and then wait for an interested user to make an offer. Used gas buyers, on the other hand, can check availability by filtering the search by refrigerant quantity, quality and location and make an offer for the gas they intend to buy. Once the seller approves the offer from the interested party, the agreement is sealed and they can move on to arrange the collection.