According to a recent survey by the European contractors group, AREA, there are approximately 367,000 refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump personnel F-gas certified in 18 EU countries. The survey found that 40% of F-gas certified personnel are trained on HFOs, while 29% are trained on hydrocarbons, and 21% on CO2, and 12% on ammonia. The survey also estimates that 115,000 technicians will need to be trained in the coming years, but notes that this number may be underestimated due to new product bans and phase-down requirements in the F-gas regulation. AREA warns of a risk of a shortage of contractors trained on alternative refrigerants and urges that mandatory certification on alternative refrigerants will help increase the number of contractors with the necessary level of competence to handle these refrigerants safely and efficiently.
According to our top F-gas expert, predictions of F-gas engineer demand are grossly inaccurate.
