History of a New Technology - Part 7
The Future is Natural – The Market Opens to the World
Starting from 2016 more and more companies introduced gradually CO2 units to their range.
After more than twenty years of successes and technical challenges, the reliability of CO2 systems was now a proven fact. Between 2018 and 2019, demand surged further: the market no longer asked only for small systems, but for increasingly larger machines. The industry responded by exceeding the 1 MW cooling capacity threshold, paving the way for sectors that, until then, were dominated by traditional systems.
1. The New Frontiers of CO2
Today, carbon dioxide competes on equal footing in large industrial plants, thanks to three fundamental applications:
- Logistics Distribution Centers: CO2 avoids the toxicity risks associated with ammonia and reduces costs by distributing the refrigerant directly to the evaporators, often integrating heat recovery. In 2018 a large plant included, for the first time, hot gas defrost, using low pressure/high temperature fluid.
- Industrial Heat Pumps: A true revolution in heating. Thanks to specialized hydronic circuits, it is possible to produce high-temperature heat (60-65°C) with zero environmental impact.
- Integrated Systems (Energy Hubs): The refrigeration plant of the future does more than just preserve products; it is a “beating heart” that provides climate control for environments and heats water, recovering every single watt that was once dissipated into the atmosphere.
Conclusions: A Forward-Looking Vision
Thirty years after the first steps, the idea of reintroducing CO2 has proven to be a winning one. While the ozone hole is recovering and European regulations (F-Gas) signal the end of synthetic gases, by 2026, CO2 has become the standard solution in retail and a top choice in industry. Several tens of companies are now manufacturing CO2 systems, and more than 100.000 plants are now in operation, while more and more are being installed also in industrial sector.
Lessons for the Future
The journey of reintroducing CO2 leaves us with three fundamental reflections:
- The Uncertainty of Synthetics: New shadows are appearing on the horizon, such as global PFAS contamination. History teaches us that the use of synthetic chemical compounds (which can be for example Teflon or CFCs or thousand of synthetic substances) must be evaluated with extreme caution, given the possible long-term impacts.
- The Inertia of Change: Introducing a radically new technology requires a long time due to the inertia of the sector. Likely, more structured financial support and more active communication could have accelerated this transition.
- The Value of the Natural Choice: Investing in natural solutions is the only choice that proves truly rewarding in the medium and long term.
Looking back, the choice made thirty years ago was not just a technical experiment: it was the correct direction for a truly sustainable cooling industry.
Intentionally the “history” after 2019 has not been written. As soon as possible all the parts - the 7 parts - will be grouped together. There will be also a comment about the innovations introduced in the last 5 years. There will my answer to the question " Are there possibilities to improve further? “.