BRISTOL-based refrigerant supplier A-Gas has purchased Gasco's entire UK fleet of cylinders from the administrator.


The cylinders were originally placed on the UK market by refrigerant distributor Gasco International Ltd which went into administration in December 2008, following the insolvency of its Belgian parent Gasco Europe. This left its customers with nowhere to return either their empty product cylinders or full recovery cylinders needing processing.

'This brings an end to the uncertainty in the trade as to what to do with empty refrigerant cylinders or indeed full recovery cylinders since Gasco International Ltd went into administration,' says Ken Logan, md of A-Gas (UK) Limited.

A-Gas now has sole title to all Gasco refrigerant and recovery cylinders in the UK which will be used to boost A-Gas' recovery and reclaim service and further help with the virgin R22 phase out.

Processing the recovery cylinders will also enable A-Gas to deal with the many tonnes of used refrigerant by turning it into reclaimed refrigerant, which could otherwise have been left to create a potential environmental hazard.

All Gasco refrigerant and recovery cylinders can now be returned to A-Gas via its UK wide network of distributors. Alternatively cylinders can be returned directly to the A-Gas facility at Portbury, Bristol.

This is the latest in the break-up of the Gasco group. Its SWM subsidiary was bought by former SWM chairman and founder Ron Lloyd at the end of last year. The remaining distribution assets along with branches in Dartford and Glasgow were purchased by Preston-based NRW.