The return of CO2 as a refrigerant

To stay in line with the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set by the regulation, ThermoKey has long since introduced CO₂ as a refrigerant for the whole range of evaporators.

The GWP indicator – Global Warming Potential – is used to measure the level of global warming using a CO₂ scale divided in 100 years.

The ODP indicator – Ozone Depleting Potential – measures the impact of pollutants in the ozone-sphere and it is equal to the ratio between the ozone reduction caused by a chemical compound compared to the one caused by the ODS substance with the highest impact, that is the CFC-11, with the same mass.

In the last few years there has been a return to the use of CO₂ as a refrigerant in refrigeration systems. 

After being supplanted in the past by natural gases, chlorofluorocarbons, CO₂ has been recently re-evaluated and studied for its specific characteristics and thermo-physical properties that make it advantageous compared to other refrigerants from an environmental point of view. In particular for: 

Amongst the most important factors to be taken into consideration, there are the values that CO₂ presents for GWP and ODP indicators, respectively equal to 1 and 0, which demonstrate its energy efficiency and sustainability from an environmental point of view. ThermoKey has already achieved these standards and continues to work to ensure the highest efficiency of units with the lowest environmental impact.

Regarding this matter it is useful to mention the current EU directive on fluorinated greenhouse gases, also called F-gas, which aims to gradually reduce the number of tonnes of equivalent CO₂ available on the market. Specifically, the regulation expects to achieve a reduction of 80% of F-gases by 2030.