Australian retailer Woolworths has opened its 100th transcritical CO2 (R744) supermarket, marking a “significant milestone,” according to Rob McCartney, Managing Director of Woolworths 360, the division of the company tasked with meeting its sustainability goals. The newly refurbished supermarket in Wollongong, New South Wales, opened on March 27 and is one of the Woolworths Group’s 1,095 stores in Australia. The company also operates 191 stores in New Zealand, of which 32 are equipped with transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems, according to McCartney. This achievement comes just seven years ..read more

U.S. manufacturer Copeland has launched the production of its first Vilter-branded industrial CO2 (R744) compressor unit, which uses single-screw compressors for transcritical applications, subcritical applications or both.  Now available in the North America market, the industrial CO2 compressor unit, complete with screw compressor, oil-management technology, motor and controller, was displayed at the IIAR 2024 Natural Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo in Orlando, Florida, March 24–27.  The large-capacity CO2 compressors “reduce the complexity of industrial refrige ..read more

Italian component manufacturer Refrigera has announced the launch of a new two-way hermetic service and charging valve rated up to 140bar (2,030psi) to provide sectional maintenance in operating transcritical CO2 (R744) systems. “This is a first for our company, launching a service valve without a ball inside,” said Roberto Sabatino, Refrigera’s Chief Operating Officer, in an interview with ATMOsphere at the Mostra Convegno Expocomfort, held March 12‒15 in Milan. Service advantages: The hermetic valve, with a stem moving up and down to close or open a pipe, removes bubbles that can pass throug ..read more

As part of its Evolving Technologies portfolio, U.S.-based Hussmann, a subsidiary of Panasonic, has announced opening an extreme temperature lab for testing sustainable and environmentally friendly refrigeration systems, including those using CO2 (R744) and propane (R290). According to Hussmann, the lab ‒ located inside the company’s 350,000ft2 (32,516m2) Suwanee, Georgia, facility ‒ contains a chamber that can go from −20 to 115°F (−28.9 to 46.1°C) in two hours.  “We [have] inaugurated our refrigeration test lab ‒ a space where our ideas and innovation turn into reality, allowing us to a ..read more

In the third wave of the “Climate Innovation Vouchers” grant program, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the EU have awarded up to €50,000 ($54,000) to Ukrainian-based OEM RMC Manufacturer Company to support the development of CO2 (R744) refrigeration equipment. “RMC Manufacturer Company is replacing freon-based units with next-generation systems based on CO2 to improve equipment efficiency and durability and optimize energy use,” said the Delegation of the EU to Ukraine in a press release. “[The] grant funding will foster the development, testing and implementatio ..read more

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued its largest-ever penalty to chemical company Resonac America for illegally importing HFCs into the country at the Port of Los Angeles. The company, which is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Resonac Corporation, has reached a settlement with the EPA that stipulates it will pay a penalty of $416,003 (€383,505) and destroy 1,693lbs (767.9kg) of the imported HFCs to resolve the violations. “EPA continues to prioritize enforcement against companies that illegally import refrigerants that damage our climate and imperil future generations,” said Da ..read more

Representatives from 70 national governments have agreed to support the “rapid, fair and effective” decarbonization of the buildings and construction sector, according to a statement from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The Déclaration de Chaillot, which was adopted at the first-ever Buildings and Climate Global Forum, represents a “decisive step” in the sector’s pathway to net-zero emissions, explained UNEP. “In the face of the climate emergency, a swift transition of the buildings sector is a direct requirement to achieve the goals set by the Paris Agreement,” it added. A de ..read more

ATMOsphere, a global market accelerator of clean cooling and heating solutions, and publisher of R744.com, has approved the ATMO Approved Natural Refrigerants Label for Zero-C, a Canadian-Swiss refrigeration manufacturer. ATMOsphere (formerly shecco) launched the label in June 2022 as a global gold standard highlighting best-in-class manufacturers of natural refrigerant systems and components around the world. Labels were also approved in 2023 for SCM Frigo, M&M Carnot, Zudek, MIRAI Intex, Novum and Temprite. In 2024, GTS, Nihon Netsugen Systems and Refra have been approved, Fenagy has bee ..read more

The German Federal Office for Chemicals (Bundesstelle für Chemikalien or BfC) has informed the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) of its intention to propose linking reproductive toxicity to trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), an atmospheric by-product of HFO-1234yf and other f-gases. The BfC is a division of Germany’s Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin or BAuA). ECHA is responsible for the safe use of chemicals in the EU. This is one of the first efforts to associate exposure to small quantities of TFA (concentrations of at least 0.1 ..read more

A wide range of refrigeration and heat pump case studies involving the use of CO2 (R744) as the refrigerant will be presented by industry-leading companies at the ATMOsphere (ATMO) America Summit 2024 on natural refrigerant-based HVAC&R, which will be held Monday, June 10, and Tuesday, June 11, in Washington, D.C. This 13th annual edition of ATMO America will gather key industry experts, including manufacturers, policymakers, end users and contractors, to learn about the latest developments in natural refrigerant-based HVAC&R systems, including those using CO2, hydrocarbons (such as pr ..read more