Natural Refrigeration Gains Ground in Europe, but Obstacles Remain
Natural refrigeration technology is gaining traction with end users, according to speakers at the Atmosphere Conference in March, held in Brussels, but, despite technological successes, there are still challenges to overcome in the form of regulatory obstacles and skill shortages.
Supermarket end users reported a key development with the first successful year’s operation of transcritical CO? refrigeration systems in warmer climates. Ambient temperatures above 20°C, previously considered unfeasible for transcritical CO2, now appear to be not only achievable but cost-effective, thanks to recently developed parallel compression and ejector technology.