The new shecco publication “GUIDE 2012: Natural Refrigerants - Market Growth for Europe”, reveals a large difference in adoption rates of transcritical CO2 between European countries. Whilst Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and UK have 424, 166, 149, and 267 installations respectively, countries like France, Italy and Spain have been slow to adopt the technology with less than 10 units each.
There are 1,331 CO2 transcritical installations in Europe according to shecco’s report, which is the first attempt to quantify the number of CO2 installations. The figures indicate that CO2 transcritical commercial refrigeration is rapidly establishing itself as a viable long-lasting alternative to HFC installations.
Regional variations indicate large potential for growth
Four countries lead the way when it comes to investment in R744 installations: Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and the UK. Their support for CO2 transcritical is in stark contrast to others such as Italy, which despite being the home of the first CO2 system now boasts just six CO2 transcritical systems. Whilst concerns regarding the efficiency of CO2 transcritical at higher ambient temperatures have impacted their uptake in Southern Europe, the next generation of CO2 systems is expected to overcome these. Having overcome this major barrier, lessons from the four leading CO2 countries could then help pave the way for greater technology uptake.
Different tools to accelerate CO2 uptake
The higher number of CO2 supermarket transcritical installations in Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and UK are the result of the following mix of very different incentives, taxes and industry initiatives:
- Denmark: The use of HFC gases is strictly limited in Denmark, in addition to which there is a tax in the imports of bulk HFCs;
- Germany: The Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) operates and incentive scheme that covers 25% of the net investment costs for new commercial refrigeration plants using natural refrigerants;
- Switzerland: The voluntary “Minergie-Label” mandates proof of energy performance of HVAC&R systems, in addition to which HFCs are regulated. In addition to these incentives, retailers themselves have taken the initiative to invest in efficient transcritical CO2;
- UK: The country does no regulate or tax HFC refrigerants, nor does it offer much in the way of financial incentives for the adoption of natural refrigerants. Investment in transcritical CO2 has been lead by retailers searching for environmentally friendly, future proof and efficient cooling solutions.
Creating the supermarket map
In 2011 shecco conducted detailed research among major European supermarket chains, refrigeration system manufacturers and component suppliers to present concrete data for the numbers of CO2 transcritical supermarkets across Europe. Results obtained by country appear on the following map:
Background
The “Guide 2012” looks at the current and future prospects for ammonia, CO2 and hydrocarbons. While the report expects the market share of equipment using natural refrigerants to increase substantially in the coming years, a lack of training and the high capital cost of natural refrigerant systems are seen as major barriers.
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Download page: GUIDE 2012: Natural Refrigerants - Market Growth for Europe
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By Huiting Jia
Feb 28, 2012, 00:00
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