In anticipation of the accelerated adoption of CO2 (R744) refrigeration technology, U.S.-based Copeland has started manufacturing CO2 compressors in North America based on updated U.S. regulations and sustainability pledges by food retail businesses in the region.
Production of the company’s 4MTLS transcritical and 4MSLS subcritical semi-hermetic product lines has started in the company’s facility in Rushville, Indiana, and ZO(D) CO2 scroll and digital scroll compressors in Sidney, Ohio.
“[We] anticipate an accelerated adoption of CO2 refrigeration technology in the U.S. driven by food retail businesses pledging sustainability targets and the need to comply with environmental regulations,” Copeland said in a press release. The company also noted the additional growth in the region’s cold storage infrastructure.
Previously, Copeland CO2 compressors were transported to North America from manufacturing facilities in Mikulov, Czech Republic, or Cookstown, Ireland.
“The investments we are making in our facilities, supply chain and people in North America will allow Copeland to increase production capacity and flexibility,” said Dave Bersaglini, Copeland Vice President and General Manager of Refrigeration.
With CO2 compressor manufacturing in North America, “[we] will help OEMs and end-users more quickly achieve their sustainability and regulatory compliance goals,” the company said, by providing shortened product lead times for new store builds and remodels.
“Positioning operations closer to customers and improving delivery times will allow us to be more responsive, providing customers with local support to help ensure their success,” Bersaglini noted.
Compressors
With over 100 years of manufacturing experience, Copeland offers compressor solutions for residential, commercial and industrial applications.
In a presentation at the October 2‒4 Food Industry Association (FMI) Energy and Store Development Conference, Brent Cheshire, Manager of End User Services, Cold Chain at Copeland, and Dan O’Brien, Zero Zone’s President, highlighted the implementation of Copeland compressors in small format retail stores.
“We can apply [CO2] in basically everything and anything; it’s not just for the big box stores anymore,” O’Brien said, defining small format stores as those requiring roughly 30TR (105.5kW) capacity
A 1.3MW (379TR) CO2 water-to-water heat pump system owned by the Canadian utility Hydro-Québec operates with what Copeland dubs the world’s largest transcritical CO2 screw compressor. The industrial unit can simultaneously provide 1.7MW (483TR) heating capacity and 1.3MW cooling capacity per compressor with a combined COP of 6.4, which won the utility Best in Sector/Industrial at the 2023 ATMO America Summit.
At the ATMOsphere Europe Summit 2023, held September 19‒20 in Brussels, Copeland’s CO2 scroll refrigeration units were shortlisted for the Innovation of the Year/Refrigeration award. At the same summit, the manufacturer’s YHV*RG variable-speed scroll compressors for use with residential propane (R290) heat pumps were shortlisted for Innovation of the Year/Heat Pumps.
“The investments we are making in our facilities, supply chain and people in North America will allow Copeland to increase production capacity and flexibility.”
Dave Bersaglini, Copeland Vice President and General Manager of Refrigeration
