Emerson announced an expansion of its CO2 compression portfolio with the development of the company’s first transcritical CO2 screw compressor purpose-built for the rigors of high-pressure industrial CO2 refrigeration. The Vilter transcritical CO2 compressor — developed in response to increasing industry demand for sustainable, safe, and reliable CO2 refrigeration technologies — will complement the Vilter subcritical CO2 compressor to comprise a full transcritical CO2 compression solution.
The new portfolio is designed to answer the industry’s call for industrial-grade CO2 refrigeration solutions. Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants continue to be phased down by global regulatory efforts, while increasing occupational safety requirements are impeding the use of ammonia. As a result, industrial operators are exploring eco-friendly alternatives to legacy HFCs and seeking safer ammonia replacements. Although CO2 offers an ideal combination of sustainability, high-performance, and safety, the industrial refrigeration market has lacked a suitable CO2 compression solution. To date, CO2 refrigeration technologies have been based on commercial-grade, multi-compressor strategies, which have been proven overly complex and less reliable under harsh industrial conditions.