Interesting news from Italy:

At the port of Gioia Tauro in Italy, customs officials have seized more than 40 tonnes of illegal HFC refrigerant.

Customs officials discovered that a shipment reported as dichloromethane, known as methylene chloride, was actually fluorinated gas during a routine verification check.

3377 refillable cylinders and 112 non-refillable cylinders—which are illegal in Europe—were reportedly included in the shipment. Because the importer had exceeded its F-gas quota, the refrigerant in refillable cylinders was seized, but the cylinders containing non-refillable HFCs were subject to emergency criminal seizure.

The identity of the importer and the refrigerant(s) in question remain undisclosed. Photos from Customs do seem to suggest that part of the shipment might have been in ISO tanks.

Apart from potential criminal prosecution, the guilty parties may also be subject to administrative penalties ranging from €50,000 to €150,000.

Gioia Tauro is located close to the island of Sicily at the tip of Italy, on the southwest coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Situated along the route that connects Suez to Gibraltar, it is a significant port.

This story and image were provided courtesy of the Cooling Post News page and was slightly edited prior to publication.
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