CO₂ in industrial refrigeration: R744 opens new frontiers in medium- and high-end systems

The push towards natural refrigerants is also redefining industrial refrigeration.

Among these, CO₂ (R744) is expanding its scope, entering segments traditionally dominated by ammonia or conventional solutions. The evolution of transcritical architectures and hybrid configurations has made CO₂ a mature, competitive technology, fully aligned with new regulatory requirements.

Why CO₂ is gaining ground in industry

CO₂ combines a GWP of 1 with zero ozone effects , meeting the increasingly stringent requirements of European refrigerant regulations.

Added to this is significant technological progress: more reliable high-pressure compressors, dedicated components, and digital controls capable of stabilizing even the transcritical phase in complex climatic conditions.

These factors are favoring the spread of CO₂ not only in large logistics platforms, but above all in medium-sized industrial segments and distributed systems, where a balance between efficiency, sustainability, and operational safety is required.

Evolving Architectures: Transcritical Boosters, Cascades, and Hybrid Solutions

The maturity of CO₂ is reflected in the variety of configurations available today for industrial refrigeration:

• Transcritical boosters , optimised for high pressures and equipped with intelligent controls that improve performance even in summer conditions;
• CO₂–other refrigerant cascade systems , ideal for distributing loads across different temperature levels;
• Ejectors, inverter compressors, floating pressure strategies and advanced control logics , which allow for increased seasonal efficiency and reduced electricity consumption.

One of the most significant advantages is heat recovery , which allows the heat generated by the refrigeration cycle to be reused for heating, DHW production or to power auxiliary processes, significantly improving the overall energy balance of the system.

The adoption of CO₂ in medium-sized industrial settings thus opens up new opportunities for manufacturers, designers and refrigeration technicians, transforming familiarity with R744 into an increasingly strategic skill.

Advantages, limitations and design criteria not to be overlooked

The CO₂ expansion is supported by a combination of technical and regulatory factors.

Main advantages:

• reduction of direct emissions and alignment with F-Gas regulations,
• possibility of integrating heat recovery,
• greater sustainability perceived by the market,
• increasing availability of dedicated components.

Critical issues to evaluate:

• high operating pressures,
• higher initial investments than conventional systems,
• need for staff training,
• specific security protocols,
• careful management of the transcritical phase.

To achieve high performance, it is essential to correctly size compressors, exchangers and valves, as well as defining operating logics that guarantee stability, continuity and efficiency even under variable load conditions.