- ATMO’s 2024 report shows Europe leading in natural refrigerant use, with a 33% increase in transcritical CO₂ installations and a staggering rise in self-contained hydrocarbon cabinets from 3.2 to 17 million.
- North America followed with a 74% rise in industrial transcritical CO₂ sites, and an estimated 4.6 million hydrocarbon systems installed in food retail, up from previous underestimations.
- Japan’s market penetration of CO₂ refrigeration in convenience stores jumped to 20%, with government subsidies driving higher SME adoption of natural refrigerant systems.
- Latin America sees foundational growth, with 8.5 million hydrocarbon cases and 680 CO₂ systems installed, marking a strong base for future development.
- F-gas phase-out regulations in Europe and U.S. tighten the market for HFCs and PFAS, accelerating industry transition toward low-GWP alternatives worldwide.
ATMO’s newly released 2024 report signals a transformative global shift toward natural refrigerants, propelled by policy changes and improved market data.
According to the ATMO report are estimates as of December 2024. The snapshot reveals massive growth in the adoption of natural refrigerant systems across key global markets.
In Europe, adoption of transcritical CO₂ systems soared, with 95,600 sites now operating the technology, marking a 33% year-over-year increase. This includes a 27% rise in centralized rack systems and a 71% surge in condensing units. Additionally, the number of self-contained hydrocarbon cabinets skyrocketed to an estimated 17 million units, a revision due to more accurate data collection rather than an annual jump.
North America also saw substantial increases, notably a 74% rise in industrial transcritical CO₂ installations, and a total of 4.6 million self-contained hydrocarbon systems now in use in the region’s food retail sector. Regulatory shifts, such as the U.S. EPA’s SNAP 26 and Maine’s PFAS laws, are pushing for lower-GWP refrigerants.
In Japan, the Ministry of the Environment’s subsidy expansion and regulatory support have boosted the market penetration of CO₂ systems in convenience stores to 20%, up from 14% the previous year. Industrial adoption grew steadily with 470 sites reported.
Latin America is laying a strong foundation with 8.5 million hydrocarbon-based cases installed in food stores and a minimum of 680 transcritical CO₂ installations, including growing use in Ecuador, Colombia, and Argentina. Although trends were not deeply analyzed in this edition, the groundwork is evident for rapid future growth.
Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand show similar patterns. Australia reports 330 supermarkets using CO₂ systems (6.6% penetration), while New Zealand shows a 22% penetration. Both countries are exploring tighter restrictions on high-GWP refrigerants like R404A.
The revised F-gas Regulation in the EU, which became law in March 2024, set a 2050 target for eliminating f-gases and tied these substances to PFAS regulation. Similarly, New York and other U.S. states are imposing stricter GWP-based restrictions on commercial and industrial refrigeration.
ATMO emphasizes that this year’s data serves as a new baseline, especially for Europe and North America, where better access to manufacturer and OEM data has improved the report’s accuracy. The report is not merely reflective of year-over-year growth, but rather an update of market size estimates to reflect the current reality more clearly.
As global momentum builds, ATMO sees this report as a platform upon which deeper regional trends and long-term decarbonization efforts will be tracked in the years ahead.
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