European HFC phase-out remains on track
13th November 2026
DENMARK: The European HFC phase-out remained on track in 2025, with the amount of HFCs legitimately placed on the market 2% below the maximum quantity allowed by the F-gas regulation.
According to the latest figures from the European Environment Agency, the total supply of F-gases to the EU in 2025, measured in CO2 equivalents (CO2e), was 12% lower than in 2024, while remaining almost constant in tonnes of gas.
Supply of fluorinated gases is a metric used by the EEA that provides information on the actual use of fluorinated gases by EU industries. It is calculated primarily from reported production, imports and exports.
Compared to 2015 levels, F-gases supply in 2025 was about 53% lower (in CO2e). Compared to 2024, HFC supply decreased by 15%.
Refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps continue to be key applications for F-gases, accounting for more than 70% of F-gases applications in 2025 measured in tonnes of gas, or 40% in CO2e.
In 2025, 47,394 tonnes of fluorinated gases were supplied for use in RACHP applications, up slightly (0.59%) on 2024. However, in terms of CO2 equivalents, this was down around 18% at 40.5Mt.
The figures do not include the quantities involved in the illegal trade in HFCs, which has been estimated to account for between 20% to 40% of the legitimate market.
Following increases in imports of HFCs pre-charged in RACHP equipment between 2020 and 2022 and decreases in 2023 and 2024, import levels in 2025 were about 12% higher (in CO2e) than in 2024. The primary factors contributing to the increase in 2025 were the overall increased imports of stationary cooling and heating equipment, as well as heat pumps.
The amount of HFCs reclaimed in in 2025 was 5.3Mt in CO2 equivalents, down around 2% on 2024.
The use of quota authorisations needed in 2025 to cover imports of RACHP equipment again exceeded the amount of quota authorisations newly issued in the same year. This is due to unused quota authorisations banked by equipment importers.
Compared to 2020, the amount of banked unused quota authorisations has decreased by 33%. However, the current quota authorisation reserve still amounts to more than four times the amount of HFCs imported in RACHP equipment imported in 2025.
