Natural refrigerant projects — ammonia, CO₂ and propane systems
Regulation (F-gas, AIM Act, Kigali) is pushing operators to natural refrigerants. ColdMatch sources ammonia (NH₃), CO₂ transcritical and propane (R290) refrigeration plants — new-build and HFC conversion — from specialist OEMs and EPC contractors worldwide.
What ColdMatch delivers
- NH₃ industrial plants — low-charge, packaged and central systems
- CO₂ transcritical and subcritical racks for retail, cold storage and industrial
- Propane (R290) chillers and self-contained units
- HFC-to-natural refrigerant conversion projects
- Compliance support: F-gas, AIM Act, Kigali, local safety codes
Compare refrigerants side-by-side
You submit one RFQ. Our team handles the supplier outreach.
There is no direct buyer-to-supplier connection. Your request comes to the ColdMatch team, which contacts suitable suppliers and manufacturers on your behalf. Supplier and manufacturer information on this site is for research only; it is not a contact directory and does not mean a supplier has been vetted.
- You build your project and submit an RFQ.
- The ColdMatch team validates and organizes the requirements.
- We contact suitable suppliers and manufacturers for you.
- We present their organized responses to you through ColdMatch.
Supplier and manufacturer information is provided for research only; it is not a directory for direct contact. There is no direct buyer-to-supplier connection: every RFQ comes to the ColdMatch team, which validates it, contacts suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organized responses through ColdMatch.
In depth: how to choose an industrial refrigerant
Refrigerant choice fixes a plant's safety regime, efficiency, pipework pressures, technician requirements and long-term running cost. It should be decided before equipment is priced, not after.
The four decisions behind every refrigerant selection
Buyers usually compare refrigerants on efficiency alone, but four factors decide which options are even allowed on a site: occupancy and toxicity rules, flammability class, operating pressure and regulatory phase-down exposure.
Only after those filters does efficiency, capital cost and service availability separate the remaining candidates.
- Safety class (ISO 817 / ASHRAE 34): toxicity A/B and flammability 1, 2L, 2, 3
- Charge limits per occupied space (EN 378, ISO 5149, IIAR in North America)
- Global warming potential and local HFC quota or tax rules
- Availability of trained technicians and spare parts in the country of installation
Natural refrigerants compared
Ammonia (R717) offers the highest efficiency for large central plant but is toxic and needs a machinery room, gas detection and competent operators. CO2 (R744) is non-toxic and non-flammable but runs at high pressure and loses efficiency in hot climates unless the system includes parallel compression, ejectors or adiabatic gas coolers.
Hydrocarbons such as propane (R290) perform well in small charges and packaged units; flammability limits keep them out of large field-erected systems.
Synthetic refrigerants and phase-down risk
High-GWP HFCs such as R404A are being phased down under the Kigali Amendment and regional rules like the EU F-gas Regulation. HFO and HFO-blend alternatives lower GWP but are often mildly flammable (A2L) and can carry higher gas prices.
For a plant with a 20+ year life, ask each supplier how the proposed refrigerant will be priced and serviced across that full period.
What to include in a refrigerant-specific RFQ
Suppliers can only compare fairly when the same constraints are given to all of them.
- Temperature levels and duty per level
- Any refrigerant restriction from insurer, landlord, regulator or corporate policy
- Design ambient temperature and heat-rejection method
- Whether a machinery room and trained staff will exist on site
- Required heat recovery and expected service life
Figures and ranges here are general engineering guidance, not quotes. Final design, pricing and compliance are set by the independent suppliers and contractors ColdMatch introduces after reviewing your project.
Share your design basis once. ColdMatch reviews it before identifying suitable independent suppliers or EPC contractors.
Request project quotesR404A, R134a, R410A and R22 — replacement paths, dated deadlines, retrofit cost and payback ranges in one place.
When should ammonia refrigeration be considered?
Ammonia (R717) is the efficiency benchmark for large, concentrated industrial loads — typically above roughly 300 kW on a single site with a dedicated machinery room, trained operators, gas detection and a safety regime. It is toxic and regulated, so it is rarely appropriate for unattended plant, occupied retail space or sites without a competent maintenance team.
When is CO2 the better choice?
Transcritical CO2 (R744) suits mid-size and distributed systems, sites where ammonia is restricted by planning or occupancy, and low-temperature duty in cooler climates. In hot ambients transcritical operation costs efficiency unless parallel compression, ejectors or adiabatic gas coolers are specified. CO2 runs at high pressure, so pipework, components and technician training must be rated accordingly.
Where do hydrocarbons fit?
Propane (R290) and similar hydrocarbons deliver excellent efficiency at low GWP in small charges — packaged chillers, modular cold rooms, mobile units and off-grid systems. Charge limits and flammability classification govern how and where they can be installed, so they suit compact self-contained plant rather than large field-erected systems.
How does refrigerant choice affect project cost and compliance?
Natural refrigerants usually raise capital cost through safety systems, higher-rated components and specialist installation, and lower lifetime cost through efficiency and freedom from future phase-down pricing. Synthetic HFCs face progressive quota reduction and rising prices in many markets, so a system specified today should be assessed on the refrigerant's expected availability across its full service life.
- •Country, project location and site status (greenfield or existing building)
- •Application and product stored or processed
- •Required temperature range and any humidity requirement
- •Storage capacity (m², m³ or pallet positions) and daily throughput
- •Ambient/design climate conditions at site
- •Available power supply and backup or redundancy requirement
- •Preferred refrigerant, if already defined by policy or regulation
- •Indicative budget range and target commissioning date
- •Any refrigerant restriction from site policy, insurer or regulator
- •Availability of trained operators and a machinery room
- •Design ambient temperature and heat-rejection method
- •Expected service life and refrigerant phase-down exposure
Frequently asked questions
How ColdMatch Group works — independent B2B procurement and sourcing platform — ColdMatch Group is an independent B2B procurement and sourcing platform for industrial refrigeration, cold storage and cold-chain projects from USD $250K+, where the ColdMatch team reviews each buyer brief, contacts suitable third-party suppliers on the buyer's behalf and organizes their responses.
Explore every ColdMatch buying guide
RFQ checklist, cost benchmarks, and country-by-country buying guides — all in one hub.
Back to Guides HubTake this to a structured refrigeration RFQ
Refrigeration bids are only comparable when refrigerant, duty, evaporating temperature, redundancy and controls are specified. Qualify the design intent, then issue one RFQ.
Supplier-neutral. Free for buyers and project owners. Best suited to commercial projects from USD $250,000.