Quick answer
Refrigerant regulation, energy prices and ageing plant are driving CO2 and ammonia conversions. How to compare retrofit against replacement in Germany, the UK, Poland, Romania, the US and Canada. Ammonia (R717) is widely used for larger industrial loads such as cold warehouses, blast freezing and food processing, where efficiency at scale is decisive. It requires strict safety design, machinery rooms, detection, trained operators and compliance with local regulations.
Key takeaways
- When should ammonia refrigeration be considered? Ammonia (R717) is widely used for larger industrial loads such as cold warehouses, blast freezing and food processing, where efficiency at scale is decisive.
- What affects cold room CAPEX? Cold room CAPEX depends on product type, temperature range, storage capacity, insulation, refrigeration system type, evaporators, compressors, backup power, monitoring, automation, building condition,…
- What affects cold storage OPEX? Electricity tariff and consumption, compressor and system efficiency, insulation quality, door openings and air infiltration, defrost strategy, setpoint, product turnover, labour, maintenance, refrigerant…
- Why does ColdMatch review the project before contacting suppliers? Because incomplete briefs produce non-comparable quotations.
Reviewed: Sep 2026 · ColdMatch Group
Across Europe and North America, most cold storage refrigeration projects now start as a retrofit question: keep the existing plant, convert it, or replace it. Refrigerant phase-down schedules, electricity prices and the condition of the existing envelope decide the answer.
The three real options
Repair and continue — lowest immediate cost, rising refrigerant and service exposure.
Convert to CO2 or ammonia — higher capital cost, better long-term compliance and efficiency, added safety and competence requirements.
Replace the plant — cleanest outcome, longest downtime, biggest budget.
See CO2 vs Ammonia Refrigeration Systems for the technical comparison.
Retrofit markets with country calculators
- Germany — Germany cost calculator
- the United Kingdom — the United Kingdom cost calculator
- Poland — Poland cost calculator
- Romania — Romania cost calculator
- the United States — the United States cost calculator
- Canada — Canada cost calculator
Compare on ten-year cost, not on quotation price
Set the same volume and temperature class in the country calculator, then run it twice — once with the existing plant efficiency and once with a high-efficiency CO2 or ammonia system. In high-tariff markets the energy difference frequently outweighs the capital gap well before end of life.
Downtime is part of the price
Retrofits inside an operating facility carry product movement, temporary storage and phased shutdown costs that rarely appear in equipment quotations. State the acceptable downtime window in the RFQ.
Request a human-reviewed cold-chain project quote. Submit your product type, temperature range, capacity, country, site status, refrigeration needs, energy constraints, budget range and timeline. ColdMatch will review the brief before approaching suitable suppliers or project partners.
ColdMatch Group is an independent industrial refrigeration and cold-chain project sourcing and RFQ platform. We are not a refrigeration manufacturer, cold storage operator, EPC contractor, installer, engineering firm, lender, broker-dealer, investment advisor or financial advisor. Supplier and project partner outreach is handled only after a commercial project brief is reviewed.
Run the numbers
Calculators for this project type
Indicative planning figures only — final sizing belongs to the supplier's or consultant's detailed design.
Refrigeration load calculator
Indicative cooling load in kW from room volume, temperature class, insulation and design ambient.
Energy & backup powerEnergy & backup power cost calculator
Annual energy spend from load and running hours, plus the cost of generator hours during outages.
Frequently asked questions
Plan the numbers before you send an RFQ
The reference pages buyers use most before requesting quotes.