Year in Review: The best of R744.com in 2017

As we enter the new year, here’s a list of links to the most important news impacting CO₂-based HVAC&R technology in 2017, as selected by our media teams in New York, Brussels and Tokyo.

Market, End Users & Technology

METRO AG to install its first TC CO₂ system in China this year
Italy-based CO₂ system supplier SCM Frigo has announced it will install a CO₂ transcritical system in a METRO Wholesale store in Beijing, China, by the end of this year.

Ejectors: to efficiency and beyond!
Introducing ejectors can help to bring CO₂ systems to warmer ambient climates.

Maersk begins testing CO₂-cooled shipping containers
Maersk Line is testing 100 refrigerated shipping containers fitted with Carrier Transicold’s NaturaLINE CO₂ refrigeration system.

Advansor launches CO₂ mini-booster for small stores
Danish system supplier Advansor launched a new CO₂ mini-booster refrigeration system at EuroShop 2017.

Woolworths’ first transcritical CO₂ store
On 16 May retail giant Woolworths opened its first transcritical CO₂ store, in Colebee, New South Wales

Gourmet Australian food firm commissions transcritical CO₂ plant
Australian gourmet food firm F. Mayer Imports has commissioned a transcritical CO₂ plant with ammonia chillers.

Leader of the Rack
With 69 installations, ALDI is the No. 1 user of transcritical CO₂ refrigeration systems in the U.S. supermarket industry, and its aggressive store expansion and remodeling plans call for even more.

Henningsen Cold Storage embraces CO₂
A new Henningsen facility in Washington will be the company’s first to be fitted with a transcritical CO₂ system.

Hannaford sheds light on R22 retrofit experience
U.S. retailer Hannaford is orchestrating its first CO₂ transcritical retrofit.

Carnot cites 14 CO₂ locations with ejectors
The Canadian OEM says it has deployed 14 transcritical CO₂ systems with its own ejector and parallel compression in Ontario and Quebec.

Danfoss touts energy-saving multi-ejector
First U.S. retail test of modulating unit is in the offing, offering 10%-20% energy reduction for transcritical CO₂ system.

Japan’s first manufacturing facility for industrial CO₂ TC systems opens
Japan-based system manufacturer Nihon Netsugen Systems opened a new facility dedicated to manufacturing the first CO₂ transcritical system designed for industrial refrigeration in Japan.

Panasonic installs its first CO₂ condensing unit in Malaysia
Malaysian supermarket Jaya Grocer has become the first supermarket chain outside Japan to adopt Panasonic's commercial CO₂ condensing unit.

Accelerate America announces 2017 award winners
Whole Foods, US Cold Storage, Nestlé, Hillphoenix and Target’s Paul Anderson receive awards for advancing natural refrigerant adoption at ATMOsphere America ceremony.

Daimler R134a fleet recall may open door to CO₂
Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority has asked Daimler to recall 134,000 cars filled with R134a-based air-conditioning systems. The Federal Environment Agency is urging the manufacturer to turn to CO₂ as an alternative.

Accelerate Europe announces 2017 award winners
Carrefour, Nestlé, the Staay Food Group, Viessmann and Menno van der Hoff receive awards for advancing natural refrigerant adoption at ATMOsphere Europe ceremony.

Policy, Regulation & Standards

Kigali Amendment to enter into force
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on phasing down HFCs will enter into force on 1 January 2019 after surpassing the required ratification threshold.

Key Japan CO₂ regulation lifted
The High Pressure Safety Institute of Japan (KHK) has re-classified CO₂ under Japan’s High Pressure Gas Safety Act, opening the door for larger capacity CO₂ systems to enter the Japanese market.

Refrigerant management tops list of climate change solutions
In new book, Project Drawdown calculates impact of 80 strategies on cutting greenhouse gas emissions over 30 years.

€72 million NatRef subsidies to extend to Japan retail, food manufacturing
Japan's Ministry of Environment announces the reinstatement of natural refrigerant subsidies for food retail and food manufacturing sectors in the 2018 financial year.

New f-gas legislation introduced in Australia
The Turnbull government has introduced a bill to amend the existing Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management (OPSGGM) Act by adding an HFC phase-down plan.

CARB launches rulemaking for EPA SNAP rules
California agency seeks input for adopting EPA SNAP’s HFC delisting rules and SLCP strategy’s HFC phase-down plans.

US to consider ratification of Kigali
‘We support the goals and approach of the Amendment,' says State Department official at MOP29, despite U.S. retreat from Paris accord.