The demand for CO2 (R744) refrigerant in the U.S. is projected to reach 13 million lbs (5.9 million kg) by 2027, up from just 3 million lbs (1.4 million kg) in 2023, according to a survey conducted by the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC).
To meet this growing demand, issues affecting the supply of R744 must be addressed to ensure the retailers that are planning to invest in CO2-based refrigeration systems are able to proceed.
To get a clearer understanding of where the domestic R744 market is going, the NASRC surveyed 13 retailers that represent 18,000 stores in the U.S.
The survey captured several data points, including existing CO2 systems, planned CO2 systems (both new-build and retrofit) and average charge per system.
Based on the data collected, the NASRC has forecasted that over the next five years, demand for R744 will grow exponentially.
