Prospects of R32 Heat Pumps in Europe and Analysis of GTGLOBE's Brand Layout

Against the backdrop of the EU's "dual carbon" goals and the continuous upgrading of environmental regulations, R32 heat pumps in Europe are in a "transitional decline period". Their market position, service life, and post-maintenance are all subject to clear policy constraints and market trend impacts. As a brand that simultaneously deploys both R32 and R290 dual-refrigerant heat pumps, GTGLOBE has formed a differentiated competitive advantage during the industry transformation period through its precise European market layout and technological innovation. In particular, the photovoltaic direct-drive technology of its R32 heat pumps has further enhanced its competitiveness in the stock market.

Current Market Position of R32 Heat Pumps in Europe

Currently, R32 heat pumps in Europe are in a transitional position of "stock-dominated and incremental shrinking", and have not yet completely withdrawn from the market, but their core competitiveness has continued to weaken. As a transitional substitute for traditional R410A refrigerant, R32 once occupied a certain share in the European heat pump market due to its advantages of lower Global Warming Potential (GWP=670) than R410A and zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP). Especially in the air-to-air heat pump field, it still has a high proportion in some regions. For example, R32 is currently the standard configuration for air-to-air heat pumps in the Swedish market, accounting for 95% of the market share. However, with the advancement of the EU F-GAS Regulation and the maturity of low-GWP refrigerant technologies such as R290, the market position of R32 heat pumps has declined rapidly: in terms of increments, China's heat pump exports to the EU increased by 217% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, with the core increment entirely coming from low-GWP models such as R290, while the export volume of R32 heat pumps decreased significantly year-on-year.

How Long Can R32 Heat Pumps Be Used in Europe

The service life of R32 heat pumps in Europe is strictly restricted by the EU F-GAS Regulation, which is mainly divided into "new product launch period" and "stock equipment service life", showing an overall pattern of "gradual contraction and orderly phase-out", which can be specifically divided into three stages:

●  Stage 1 (Current - 2031): Transitional Survival Period. During this stage, new R32 heat pump products can still be legally launched on the market, but market demand continues to shrink. To avoid compliance risks, end customers and dealers have prioritized purchasing models that meet long-term regulatory requirements such as R290. R32 heat pumps only have a small amount of demand in some regions with low policy sensitivity and stock replacement scenarios, and 2029-2032 will be the key transition period for their phase-out.

●  Stage 2 (2032 - 2034): Restricted Launch Period. According to the new EU F-GAS Regulation (effective in 2024), starting from 2032, packaged air conditioners and heat pumps with cooling or heating capacity ≤ 12kW will be prohibited from using HFC refrigerants (including R32); split-type R32 heat pumps can still be launched briefly, but the launch scale will be strictly restricted, and the market will gradually enter the "inventory clearance" stage.

●  Stage 3 (2035 and beyond): Full Phase-Out Period. Starting from 2035, the EU will completely prohibit the use of HFC refrigerants in split-type air conditioners and heat pumps. New R32 heat pump products will be completely banned from being launched on the market, and only stock equipment can continue to be used within its service life until the equipment is scrapped.

In summary, the legal launch of new R32 heat pump products in Europe is only about 9-10 years left (as of 2035). The service life of stock R32 heat pumps mainly depends on the equipment's own service life (usually 10-15 years), which is expected to last until around 2040, and will eventually withdraw from the market with equipment scrapping.

Post-Maintenance Requirements After the Phase-Out of R32 Heat Pumps

The EU F-GAS Regulation has clear specifications for the post-maintenance and refrigerant treatment of R32 heat pumps after their phase-out period, focusing on three core points: "refrigerant recovery, compliant maintenance, and orderly scrapping" to ensure environmental compliance. The specific requirements are as follows:

●  Refrigerant Recovery and Reuse: According to regulatory requirements, as an HFC refrigerant, R32 is prohibited from being intentionally emitted into the atmosphere. During equipment maintenance, repair or scrapping, R32 refrigerant must be recovered by qualified professionals, and random emissions are strictly prohibited. Among them, recycled R32 can be used for the maintenance of stock R32 heat pumps indefinitely because its GWP value is less than 2500, but it must meet strict conditions - the container of recycled refrigerant must be clearly marked with the batch number, the name and complete address of the recycling organization, the recycling organization must be located within the EU, and relevant traceability requirements must be followed.

●  Maintenance Restrictions: Starting from 2032, packaged R32 heat pumps with cooling capacity ≤ 12kW are prohibited from being maintained with new R32 refrigerant; starting from 2035, all R32 heat pumps are prohibited from being maintained with new R32 refrigerant, and only recycled R32 refrigerant can be used. In addition, maintenance personnel must have EU-certified qualifications, regularly check equipment leakage (the inspection frequency is determined according to the refrigerant charge and whether a leakage detection system is equipped), and retain complete maintenance and refrigerant recovery records.

●  Equipment Scrapping: When stock R32 heat pumps reach the end of their service life, they must be disassembled and scrapped by professional organizations. During the disassembly process, the remaining R32 refrigerant in the equipment must be completely recovered for recycling, reuse or destruction (except for R32 contained in foam). At the same time, it must comply with the EU's extended producer responsibility requirements for F-GAS in waste electrical and electronic equipment to ensure full life cycle environmental compliance. In addition, when removing equipment containing R32 refrigerant in construction projects, refrigerant leakage must be avoided as much as possible. If leakage is unavoidable, relevant certification documents must be retained for at least 5 years.

GTGLOBE's European Market Layout (Dual-Refrigerant Parallel Strategy)

GTGLOBE accurately grasps the transformation trend of the European heat pump industry and adopts a dual-refrigerant parallel layout of "deep ploughing the R32 stock market and breaking through the R290 incremental market". It not only takes into account the current demand of the stock market, but also seizes the future environmental transformation opportunity, which has become the core advantage for its foothold in the European market. The specific layout is as follows:

●  On the one hand, it deeply ploughs the R32 stock market and creates differentiated technological advantages. Aiming at the current R32 stock market of a certain scale in Europe, GTGLOBE retains the R32 heat pump product line and focuses on technological upgrading, focusing on launching an innovative solution of direct photovoltaic drive for R32 heat pumps, which is in line with the development trend of large-scale photovoltaic applications and cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the EU. The core principle of this technology is that the DC power generated by photovoltaic panels directly drives the DC inverter compressor of R32 heat pumps, omitting the traditional dual DC-AC-DC conversion link, reducing 10%-20% of power loss, and increasing the overall power utilization rate of the system to more than 95%; at the same time, it is equipped with Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technology, which can real-time detect the output voltage of photovoltaic panels, automatically adjust the optimal operating parameters, ensure the efficient use of photovoltaic energy, and automatically switch to municipal power supply when light is insufficient to achieve all-weather stable operation. This innovation not only reduces the electricity expenditure of end users, but also meets the core demands of users under the background of high electricity prices in Europe, effectively enhancing GTGLOBE's competitiveness in the R32 stock market, focusing on stock equipment replacement and existing user upgrading needs.

●  On the other hand, it focuses on the R290 incremental market and seizes policy dividends. GTGLOBE has proactively laid out the R290 refrigerant track. Its entire series of R290 heat pumps have passed mainstream European certifications such as the EU EN 378 safety standard and CE certification, which can smoothly adapt to the environmental protection subsidy policies of various European countries, without facing the compliance transformation costs brought by the phase-out of R32. Its R290 heat pumps have the ability to operate stably at an extreme low temperature of -38℃, and are equipped with OMT dedicated anti-condensation inverter water pumps to enhance the safety and stability of the system. At the same time, they can efficiently cooperate with photovoltaic systems to further amplify energy-saving advantages, accurately adapting to the working conditions of different regions in Europe (including harsh cold regions in Northern Europe). At present, GTGLOBE has laid out after-sales outlets in many European countries to optimize localized services, and at the same time expanded its dealer network, covering core markets such as Germany, France and Italy, as well as potential markets such as Northern Europe and Eastern Europe, gradually expanding the market penetration of R290 heat pumps and seizing the industry transformation increment.

●  In summary, GTGLOBE's dual-refrigerant layout not only consolidates its position in the stock market through R32 photovoltaic direct-drive technology, but also seizes future increments through R290 product layout, perfectly adapting to the transformation trend of the European heat pump industry of "stock transition and incremental environmental protection". Compared with brands that only layout a single refrigerant, it has stronger market risk resistance and long-term competitiveness.

Conclusion

The market position of R32 heat pumps in Europe has gradually declined, with only about 9-10 years left for the launch of new products. Stock equipment will last until around 2040 with its service life, and its post-maintenance must strictly follow the EU F-GAS Regulation, focusing on refrigerant recovery and compliant operation. With its "R32+R290" dual-refrigerant parallel layout, GTGLOBE not only activates the value of the R32 stock market through photovoltaic direct-drive technology, but also seizes the transformation opportunity through compliant and high-performance R290 products, accurately meeting the European market demand and policy orientation, showing strong competitiveness during the industry transformation period, and is expected to achieve continuous breakthroughs in the European heat pump market.