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Writer's pictureEagle Bay Refrigeration

CO2 & Ammonia Systems: Benefits & Trade Offs

Updated: Jul 15, 2020

Ammonia- The Good & The Bad:

Ammonia has been the standard for most large industrial refrigeration

applications for well over one hundred years, and for good reason – it is efficient

and relatively inexpensive. However, ammonia is corrosive, and exposure to a

large leak can be fatal. Ammonia is often transported around the facility, creating

safety concerns, added compliance and insurance costs, and risks to production. There has also been a decline in available ammonia technicians, making maintenance more difficult.


Move over ammonia:there are currently well over 400 transcritical CO2 systems installed in North America

Ammonia's Safe Alternative: CO2

Transcritical CO2 has emerged as a viable alternative to ammonia that can help mitigate these risks for many applications due to it being non-toxic while still delivering reliable and efficient cooling. While it is possible to replace an entire ammonia central plant with transcritical CO2, in most cases, it is more practical to incrementally add CO2 systems to an existing ammonia plant, allowing facility owners to control the total ammonia charge, and where the ammonia is piped throughout their facility.

There are currently over 400 transcritical CO2 systems installed in North America!


How Does CO2 Compare?

Although the actual benefits vary from application to application, the chart below

provides a generic comparison for a transcritical CO2 system versus a typical

ammonia central plant. We are happy to provide a free comparison analysis for your specific application!



CO2 System Options & Refrigerated Air Handler Options

Eagle Bay Refrigeration has partnered with Hill Phoenix to bring natural refrigerant solutions to industrial (non-supermarket) applications.

Looking for options? Click here to check out equipment options.

- System configurations (DX, liquid overfeed, booster, self-contained and cascade) - Air-Handlers (Ultra low-charge ammonia, CO2 self-contained, Hygenic, CO2 unit-coolers)


Contact us if you have any questions, would like more information, a free consultation/ analysis, or a quote!




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