Chinese refrigerant prices rise again
After a brief respite, refrigerant prices in China are reported to be on the rise again.
The local price of R32, the low GWP air conditioning refrigerant and blend component, recently rose by 35% to around US$3500/ton.
This follows huge increases earlier in the year of around 60% in the price of R22 and R134a, a 130% rise in the price HFC component R125, and a massive 160% rise in the cost of R32.
Stricter environmental legislation in China has seen production decrease by as much as 20%, impacting prices and adding to a general worldwide production turndown. There is also continuing price pressures on the mineral fluorspar, an essential raw material in HFC production.
As the world’s largest HFC producer, the Chinese price rises will have worldwide impact. In addition to the R32 increase, R410A has reportedly risen by 16% to around $4500/ton.