Dynamic and fast growing market for natural refrigerants in commercial refrigeration

Nina Masson, Head of Market Research chaired the ATMOsphere Europe 2013 Market Trends session which gathered perspectives from leading system suppliers Carrier, Meyakawa and Sanden on the latest market trends for natural refrigerants in Europe. 

 

 

In terms of the market potential of natural refrigerant solutions in Europe, Masson predicts that carbon dioxide will enjoy a stronger increase in use among system suppliers than most other natural refrigerants, especially in the commercial and industrial refrigeration industry. 

 

In just 2 years the combination of market, policy and technology drivers have led to an impressive increase in the number of European stores using CO₂-based commercial refrigeration systems. According to Masson, compared to the end of 2011, the number of CO₂ transcritical supermarkets in Europe has more than doubled, reaching a total number of 2,881 stores by September 2013. At least another 1,568 European supermarkets use CO₂/HFC cascade refrigeration systems, with some other food retailers having tested and applied CO₂/ammonia solutions or hydrocarbon-based commercial refrigeration systems.

 

Other continents have also started to adopt natural refrigerants. In North America at least 48 stores use CO₂ transcritical refrigeration technology, with the majority in Canada, and in Japan there are more than 100 using the climate friendly technology. Added to these are CO₂ transcritical stores in New Zealand and South Africa, which bring the estimated global number of CO₂ transcritical stores to over 3,050. When it comes to CO₂ cascade supermarkets Masson estimates the total global number is over 1,965 stores, with installations in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, the USA, Venezuela.

 

 

According to Lothar Serwas, Manager CO₂OLtec Sales at Carrier Commercial Refrigeration, CO₂ refrigeration for supermarkets has gradually become the market standard in the European food retail sector. Across Europe Carrier has already installed 677 CO₂ transcritical systems, and 409 subcritical CO₂ /HFC systems. Overall CO₂ solutions represent more than  a 30% share of Carrier’s total turnkey in 2013.

 

For Italian manufacturer SCM Frigo, which has installed over 800 CO2 units,CO₂ represents 50% of the company’s production, which includes a range of CO₂ subcritical systems, transcritical packs, CO₂ pump circulation systems, CO₂ condensing units, and CO₂ “Plug-‘n Cool” units. 

 

Leading CO₂-only system supplier Advansor says it has supplied close to 1,000 transcritical units, 90% in supermarkets, and spread across 15 countries. Key markets are in Switzerland, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom, although Advansor reports growing interest in Central Europe, and emerging interest in Southern Europe. Torben Hansen from Advansor says that more than 50% of the top 20 retailers in Europe are now trialling or going full-scale CO₂ in their existing stores or new stores, further evidence that this technology is being taken seriously.

 

CO₂ system supplier Green & Cool has around 500 CO₂ systems installed in Europe and in the United States. According to Green & Cool’s Marketing Director Stig-Göran Lind, key market drivers for CO₂ solutions are legislation, cost, efficiency, and green policies.

 

Swiss consultancy Frigo-Consulting has around 330 CO₂ systems in operation, in Switzerland and surrounding countries, with around 250 of them transcritical installations.

 

Japanese manufacturer Sanden has also made a clear commitment to using CO₂ technologies, in several applications, most notably for heat pumps. This year the company introduced to the European market the first combi-type CO₂ heat pump for residential space heating and domestic hot water production with a COP of 3.64. Olivier Campy from Sanden said that Sanden’s objective for CO₂ based products is to reach annual sales of 200 million EUR in 2013, 1,500 million EUR in 2015 and 4,000 million EUR in 2023.