R32 Phase-Out in Europe: How F-Gas Rules Affect Your Portable AC

Walk into a European white-goods retailer in late 2024 and the air conditioning aisle looks subtly different from three years ago. R410A units have largely vanished from new stock, replaced by R32 models — and now, at the premium end, early R290 portable splits are beginning to appear. The reason is the revised EU F-Gas Regulation (EU 2024/573), which entered into force in March 2024 and sets the steepest hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phasedown schedule the continent has ever seen.

What does the EU F-Gas Regulation actually phase out?

The EU F-Gas Regulation (EU 2024/573) does not immediately ban all HFC refrigerants, but it reduces the total quantity of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs — the class of synthetic refrigerants with high global-warming potential) placeable on the EU market. From January 2025, any air conditioner containing a fluorinated gas with a GWP above 750 is banned from new sale; the broader HFC quota shrinks by roughly 55% between 2024 and 2030, making higher-GWP refrigerants progressively more expensive to procure.

R410A, which dominated the residential split-AC market until recently, has a GWP of 2,088 — nearly three times the new 750-threshold — and is now prohibited in newly manufactured equipment. R32, with a GWP of 675, sits just below the cut-off and remains legal in new portable and fixed split systems, but it falls firmly within the phasedown quota, meaning rising refrigerant costs are already working their way through the supply chain.

Why is R32 under pressure even though it stays below the ban threshold?

R32 is legal in new EU air conditioners today, but the overall HFC quota covering it shrinks year-on-year toward a near-zero target by 2050. As R410A disappears from the allowable market, the remaining quota increasingly concentrates on R32 — driving procurement costs upward. European refrigerant distributor procurement analysis published in 2024 estimated that EU bulk R32 prices would rise 30–50% above their 2022 baseline by 2027 as tighter allocations bite harder.

For portable split units, which typically carry a refrigerant charge of 400–800 g, the cost of a single service top-up remains modest today. But as the phasedown accelerates through 2027–2030, service engineers who need to recharge a unit will face meaningfully higher material costs. Some smaller independent workshops may stop stocking R32 cylinders altogether if demand from the shrinking installed base no longer justifies the expense of maintaining certified storage.

What GWP means — and why 675 still carries real climate weight

GWP (global-warming potential) measures how much heat one kilogram of a gas traps in the atmosphere over 100 years, relative to one kilogram of CO₂. A GWP of 675 means a single kilogram of R32 contributes 675 times more to warming than a kilogram of CO₂. A typical 700 g portable split charge carries a carbon-equivalent weight of roughly 472 kg CO₂ if released entirely to atmosphere — comparable to driving a mid-size car about 2,500 kilometres.

R290 (propane) has a GWP of just 3. Replacing a 700 g R32 charge with R290 reduces the potential atmospheric impact of a full refrigerant loss from 472 kg CO₂e to around 2 kg CO₂e — a 99.6% reduction. That is the fundamental environmental case driving the industry well beyond R32, even though regulatory deadlines currently allow it.

When do the key F-Gas milestones take effect for portable air conditioners?

The F-Gas transition rolls out in distinct stages rather than one cut-off date. For buyers of portable splits, January 2025 is the most immediately relevant milestone — R410A units permanently leave European shelves. Subsequent deadlines tighten the HFC quota further, with the 2030 and 2032 review clauses expected to extend restrictions to additional refrigerant categories and to lower the GWP ceiling, potentially catching R32 itself in a future net.

• January 2025: Sales ban on new stationary AC containing refrigerants with GWP ≥ 750. R410A is eliminated from new equipment across the EU.
• 2025–2030: HFC quota reduced toward 45% of the 2015 baseline, progressively increasing R32 procurement costs for manufacturers and service engineers.
• 2030: Scheduled review of the regulation covering stationary refrigeration and air conditioning; potential further GWP ceiling reductions.
• 2032: Planned restrictions on hermetically sealed equipment using refrigerants above revised GWP thresholds, likely pulling more categories into scope.
• 2050 goal: Near-total phase-out of HFCs from the EU market across all sectors, bringing the continent's refrigerant portfolio in line with long-term climate commitments.

Will my existing R32 portable split be legal and serviceable after 2025?

Yes — owning and servicing an existing R32 portable air conditioner remains fully legal under EU 2024/573. The regulation bans new equipment placements above the GWP threshold, not maintenance of already-installed systems. Certified HVAC technicians can continue to purchase R32 refrigerant for top-ups and repairs, and that maintenance exemption is expected to persist for the operational life of equipment already on the market, typically assumed at 10–15 years.

The practical concern is economics rather than legality. As available quota shrinks and more R32 is redirected toward new R32-based equipment still entering the market, spot prices for service cylinders will likely rise. Owners of older units who currently pay around €15–25 for a top-up may find that cost doubles by the late 2020s in a worst-case supply squeeze, particularly in countries with many ageing R410A installations competing for service-grade HFC.

On European HVAC forums, contractors are already quoting higher rates for R32 service visits and advising customers to schedule top-ups at the start of the cooling season rather than mid-heatwave, when spot prices for refrigerant cylinders spike sharply.

Which refrigerant is replacing R32 in portable and mobile split units?

R290 (propane, GWP 3) is emerging as the dominant long-term refrigerant for residential split air conditioners across Europe, and early R290 portable split units are already reaching the market. R290 operates at similar pressure levels to R32, requires roughly 30–40% less charge by weight for equivalent cooling capacity, and delivers a COP (coefficient of performance — the ratio of heat moved to electrical energy consumed) that published manufacturer specifications and EU EPREL entries testing rates 5–12% higher than R32 across typical operating ranges.

Major manufacturers including Midea, Gree, and Electrolux have all announced or begun rolling out R290 variants of their residential split ranges in Europe. For the portable split category specifically, the transition is progressing slightly more slowly because the combined indoor-outdoor design requires careful safety engineering around the flammable charge — but commercially available R290 portable splits are expected to be mainstream in the EU market by 2026–2027.

The edge case: why small charges in portable splits survive the quota squeeze better than large commercial plant

A counterintuitive insight that most regulatory coverage misses: because portable split units contain far less refrigerant (400–800 g) than fixed whole-home systems (1.5–5 kg) or commercial chillers (5–50 kg), they represent a very small draw on total HFC quota per unit. The sharpest economic pain from quota squeezes will fall on commercial and industrial operators with multi-kilogram R32 charges, not on portable split owners who need less than a kilogram per service event. This makes existing R32 portable splits structurally more resilient to the transition than large commercial plant.

What should European buyers prioritise when shopping for a portable AC right now?

Buyers comparing options in autumn 2025 are navigating a market in genuine mid-transition. R410A units should be avoided entirely — they are legacy stock with declining service support and no future on EU shelves. R32 portable splits remain a sound purchase for the next five to eight years, provided a certified local HVAC engineer stocks R32 service cylinders. Where an R290 model is available at a comparable price, it is the more future-proof choice: exempt from HFC quota restrictions, lower long-term service cost exposure, and marginally more efficient.

1. Avoid any unit still labelled R410A — these are end-of-life stock with rising service costs and a guaranteed exit from EU shelves.
2. R32 units are a safe 5–8 year purchase; verify that HVAC engineers in your region stock R32 cylinders before committing to a non-self-contained portable split.
3. If an R290-labelled portable split is available at a comparable price, choose it: exempt from HFC quota, lower climate impact, and slightly higher efficiency.
4. Check the EU energy label for a SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio — cooling delivered per unit of electricity consumed over a season) above 5.0; modern refrigerant and modern efficiency tend to track together.
5. For landlords or installers planning multiple units, factor in refrigerant future-proofing across the building — a mixed R32 and R290 portfolio adds service complexity.

The F-Gas transition is reshaping which portable AC models actually sit on European shelves at any given moment. During peak summer demand, the most desirable R32 and emerging R290 portable split units sell out faster than retailers can restock them, and mid-transition production-line changes create additional availability gaps.