Chemours partners with Arkema for European XP40 distribution
Chemours has signed an agreement with Arkema to distribute the XP40 (R449A) refrigerant in Europe with an eye to meet demand for lower GWP products.
The manufacturer has said that XP40 is being sought by supermarkets, retailers and other contractors as a “refrigerant of choice” for retrofit and new equipment.
Chemours claimed that adoption of the gas is desired due to its improved environmental performance that can reduce GWP by over 65 per cent when compared to existing products on the market.
Diego Boeri, vice-president of Chemours Fluorochemicals, said that its distribution agreement with Arkema was intended to improve access to the product for customers in Europe at a time where F-Gas regulation was driving up prices for higher GWP gas.
He said, “We are pleased to be able to expand the access of XP40 in the EU market via Arkema, another leading supplier of fluorochemical refrigerants.”
“Since 2015, XP40 has played a critical role in allowing the market to comply with the F-Gas Regulation. We are committed to continuing to help the industry succeed under the F-Gas Regulation while enabling customers and the marketplace to ensure business continuity.”
Chemours added that the agreement would allow it to provide contractors and end users with a wider range of low and very low GWP solutions as prices surge for more commonly used products.
Commercial challenges
The issue of how the commercial refrigeration supply chain is adapting to adopting lower-GWP refrigerant and how key barriers linked to training and safety standards can be overcome was a key focus of a recent roundtable event held by RAC Magazine.
The event, which was sponsored by Chemours, noted that a number of major retailers did have strategies in place to switch away from increasingly expensive higher-GWP products. However, the expert panel argued that smaller businesses such as convenience retailers were lacking guidance on options available to them and how best to move forward with new cooling solutions.