Retail CO2 systems in Europe exceed 100,000
9th April 2026
BELGIUM: Installations of transcritical CO2 systems in European food retail establishments exceeded 100,000 last year, according to new estimates from market development company ATMOsphere.
In 2008 ATMOsphere estimated there were just 140 installations of transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems worldwide, all of which were in Europe. Its latest report – Refrigeration: Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration with Natural Refrigerants – estimates there are now 111,650 installations of transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems in Europe alone. This represents a 16% increase on installations to the end of 2024.
This European total includes 106,000 installations in supermarkets and grocery stores, giving CO2 a 34% market penetration. Of these, 88,000 used a centralised system and 18,000 used condensing units. Year-over-year the number of stores with racks grew by 15% from 76,200, while the number with condensing units grew by 24% from 14,500.
In addition, there were 5,650 industrial sites using transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems, an increase of 15% from the 4,900 installed by the end of 2024.
The deployment of other “natural” refrigerants also saw marked increases. There were 19.7 million self-contained hydrocarbon cabinets, mostly R290, installed in food retail stores in Europe by then of 2025. This is an increase of 15% from the 17 million installed in December 2024.
Ammonia saw similar growth, with 4,100 industrial sites using low-charge ammonia systems in Europe by the end of 2025, a 14% growth rate on the total in December 2024.
“The technical advancements made in Europe will help to fuel the rapidly expanding market for natural refrigerants in commercial and industrial refrigeration in North America,” commented ATMOsphere co-founder and COO Jan Dusek in the report’s introduction.
“Transcritical CO2 is again leading the charge, with manufacturers anticipating “hockey stick” growth in the coming years. The fact that the market is accelerating in the face of such uncertain economic and regulatory conditions should not be overlooked,” he added.
The new report – Refrigeration: Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration with Natural Refrigerants – is available from the ATMOsphere wbsite.
