Both regulations and environmental and social governance (ESG) are driving the transition from traditional high global warming potential (GWP) hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, causing a growing body of U.S. food retailers to seek future-proof HFC-free alternatives.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a natural, ultra-low GWP, non-toxic, and non-flammable refrigerant with no ozone-depleting properties, making it one of the leading alternative refrigerants.
In 2023, the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) surveyed 13 major U.S. food retailer companies representing over 18,000 store locations to project the current and future demand for CO2 refrigeration systems.
Key Takeaways
• Demand for CO2 technologies will grow significantly by 2027.
• CO2 transcritical systems will lead new store builds.
• True demand for CO2 systems could exceed these projections.
