A market study conducted by ATMOsphere, publisher of Ammonia21.com, has estimated that in North America (U.S. and Canada), there were an estimated 950 industrial sites with installations of low-charge (below 1.3kg/kW or 10.1lbs/TR) ammonia/NH3 (R717) systems as of December 2022, including 100 with packaged units and 850 with central (engine room) systems.
The study found that there were 650 industrial sites (570 with central and 80 with packaged systems) in the U.S. and 300 (280 central and 20 packaged) in Canada. In the U.S., there were 600 sites with low-charge ammonia systems in 2021 and 525 in 2019.
Most of the installations of low-charge ammonia are at cold-storage facilities. In 2021, according to Global Cold Chain Alliance GCCA) data collected from cold storage members in North America, the refrigerant breakdown in cold-storage applications was as follows:
• 85% use ammonia only
• 4.5% use ammonia and fluorinated refrigerants
• 4.5% use fluorinated refrigerants only
• 4% use ammonia and CO2 (R744)
• 1.5% use CO2 only
• 0.5% use CO2 and fluorinated refrigerants
In Europe, the number of industrial facilities with low-charge ammonia systems as of December 2022 was estimated to be 2,850. That compares to 2,450 sites in 2021 and 2,200 in 2019.
The complete updated 159-page market study, “Natural Refrigerants: State of the Industry, Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration in Europe, North America and Japan, 2022 Edition,” can be accessed here for free. An earlier edition focused only on the European market was published last October.
The report also includes market data on installations of commercial hydrocarbon cabinets and industrial low-charge ammonia systems in Europe and North America. In addition the report looks at economic and policy trends impacting the growth of natural refrigerants in the three markets, as well as general trends and trends in CO2, hydrocarbons and ammonia refrigeration.
“By the end of the decade, natural refrigerants will represent the vast majority of commercial and industrial installations in many parts of the industrialized world,” said Marc Chasserot, Founder and Publisher of ATMOsphere. “It’s only a matter of time before this wave overtakes other applications such as heat pumps, AC and transport refrigeration, among other residential, commercial and industrial applications.”
“By the end of the decade, natural refrigerants will represent the vast majority of commercial and industrial installations in many parts of the industrialized world.”
Marc Chasserot, Founder and Publisher of ATMOsphere
