R22 Refrigerant: The proportion of applications dropped sharply

The substantial reduction in production quotas and the successive outbreaks of corona virus at home and abroad have led to fluctuations in the price of R22 refrigerant in 2020. According to the monitoring data of the business agency, the mainstream average price of domestic R22 refrigerant at the beginning of 2020 was 17,333 yuan/ton, and the mainstream average price at the end of the year was 14,333 yuan/ton, a decrease of 17.31% during the year.

To sort out the trend and reasons for the price of R22 refrigerant in 2020 in chronological order, an analyst from the business agency told the reporter of "Electrical Appliances" that in the first quarter of 2020, the price of R22 refrigerant stabilized after rising, and the market for raw materials, hydrofluoric acid and chloroform, was relatively high. At the same time, due to the impact of the new corona epidemic, parking factories have been delayed, transportation controls are severe, and R22 refrigerant quotas are not many, enterprises are limited in order, which supports the price of R22 refrigerant, and the price starts to increase and the overall increase in the first quarter 5.77%. Entering the second quarter, the price of hydrofluoric acid, the raw material for R22 refrigerant, fell, and the support for the price of R22 refrigerant weakened. Subsequently, the intensification of foreign epidemics caused stagnant exports of refrigerant terminals, which were mainly supplied to the domestic market. However, the domestic air-conditioning industry started at a low level, and the after-sales demand for maintenance was weak, and the price of R22 was under pressure to lower. Since May, due to the sharp drop in the price of R22 refrigerant in the early stage, it has fallen to a low level. Out of cost considerations, refrigerant companies with production quotas jointly raised the price of R22 refrigerant, and the upward trend continued until August. In September, the export volume of refrigerant decreased, the output of downstream air conditioners was at a low level, and the off-season effect of the after-sales market continued, and the price of R22 refrigerant fell. In November, the price of R22 refrigerant started to rise again. In December, many enterprises had insufficient production quotas and limited orders, and the price of R22 refrigerant was firm.

From the perspective of the overall quota usage of R22 refrigerant, the relevant person in charge of Meilan Chemical believes that: “In 2020, despite the COVID-19 outbreak in the country in the first half of the year, the demand for R22 refrigerant is bleak, but as the domestic epidemic is effectively controlled, Companies with R22 refrigerant production quotas have basically completed the domestic sales quotas, but due to the spread of the overseas epidemic, they have not completed the export quotas. Some companies have only completed 70% of the export quotas."

In 2021, the new production quota for R22 refrigerant has been announced. On January 26, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the "Notice on Issuing the Production, Use and Import Quotas for Ozone Depleting Substances in 2021." According to the notice, the total production quota for R22 in 2021 is 224,807 tons, which is 364 tons less than the 225,171 tons in 2020. According to a person in charge of a refrigerant company in Shandong, although R22 has not been completely eliminated, the company still produces in accordance with production quotas every year. But in fact, in the household air-conditioning industry, the production quota of R22 refrigerant is more used in after-sales maintenance and a small number of fixed-frequency models, and it is rarely applied to the models sold in household air-conditioning. The remaining application areas are mainly used as raw materials. The relevant person in charge of Meilan Chemical said bluntly: "In 2019, the market share of R22 air conditioners in the household air-conditioning industry will be about 20%. This proportion will continue to decline in 2020, and it is expected that this proportion may drop to 5% in 2021. Household air conditioners The industry completely phased out R22 refrigerant and entered the countdown."

Talking about the price trend of R22, a person in charge of a refrigerant company in Shandong said that currently, the amount of R22 quota issued is greater than the actual demand. Due to the limited number of enterprises that can enter the R22 market for quota production, the price of R22 will not be as good as that of R32 and R22. R410A is so low, but there is a high probability that the market will not rise sharply.