The ATMOsphere Podcast Network

ATMOsphere, publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com and organizer of the ATMOsphere (ATMO) Europe Summit 2025 on natural refrigerant-based cooling and heating, announced the winners of the ATMO Awards/Europe for 2025 during a ceremony on November 24 at the Summit in Padova, Italy. Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com.

Danish shipping giant Maersk’s new Ruakura Superhub CO2 (R744) cold storage facility near Hamilton, New Zealand, has received a 6 Star rating , the country’s highest in its Green Star Design & As-Built sustainability assessment. The rating marks the facility as a “project among world leaders in green building” design and construction, according to the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC)...

Commercial propane (R290) heat pumps were a major feature of this year’s elementalLondon tradeshow, with at least eight manufacturers presenting units designed to meet rising demand for future-proof HVAC technologies in the face of tightening f-gas regulations and proposed PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) restrictions. Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com

Rinnai Applied, under Rinnai U.K. as part of the Japanese Rinnai Corporation, is launching a new air-to-water propane (R290) reversible heat pump line for commercial and industrial applications with capacities from 40 to 410kW (11.4 to 116.6TR). Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com.

The articles in the podcast are as follows: German HVAC&R Contractor KKL Details Its Work With Natural Refrigerants, Outlook on a Potential PFAS Regulation and Why It Joined Bluu Unit EU/Swiss Proposal on Reducing Emissions of Ozone-Depleting Feedstocks Blocked at MOP37 ATMO MAC: Aurora Involves TÜV Süd in Safety Approach to Develop and Test R290 HVAC for Electric Buses Hillphoenix Launches Fi...

Refrigerated container manufacturer Thermo King ‒ a brand of Trane Technologies ‒ is set to test a direct expansion propane (R290) prototype of a maritime shipping container (reefer), according to Laboratory Manager and Core Refrigeration Lead Santiago Martinez. Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com.

Vicinity Energy , a Boston-based district energy provider, has started demolition of a natural gas boiler at its Kendall Square facility in neighboring Cambridge, Massachusetts, in preparation for the installation of a 35MW (9,952TR) ammonia (R717)-based steam heat pump. Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com.

Aurora Netherlands, a vehicle HVAC manufacturer, has developed and tested a dual secondary loop propane (R290) heat pump HVAC system for electric buses with the involvement of the German technical inspection association TÜV Süd in the safety approach, according to Aurora’s Sales Director, Paul van Rooijen. Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com.

Hillphoenix , the leading manufacturer of transcritical CO2 (R744) systems in North America, has announced the launch of its first industrial rack platform for a transcritical CO2 system, the AdvansorUltra . The AdvansorUltra builds on Hillphoenix’s experience in developing transcritical CO2 rack platforms for commercial refrigeration, such as AdvansorFlex Max, AdvansorFlex and AdvansorFlex Mini....

A proposal by the EU and Switzerland aimed at reducing the emissions of ozone-depleting feedstocks used to produce refrigerants like HFOs was blocked in a contact group meeting at the 37th Meeting of the Parties (MOP37) to the Montreal Protocol in Nairobi, Kenya, held November 3–7, according to environmental groups that attended the meeting. Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com .

Contractors have been touted as one of the reasons why EU policymakers should proceed cautiously with regulating f-gases and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Regarding the recently revised EU F-gas Regulation, there were questions about whether contractors would be able to install and service natural refrigerant-based equipment once f-gas alternatives were phased out. Read the full stor...

In addition to what we published this week, these stories caught our eye. Konvekta brings CO2 MAC tech to Agrictechnica 2025 Panasonic CO2 condensing units used in low-temp aerospace application SWEP’s BPHEs help CERN upgrade its particle detectors Enerblue’s newest propane heat pump case study Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com

The articles in the podcast are as follows: U.K. Government Asks for Input on Revised HFC Phase-Down Regulation Five CO2 Heat Pumps from Clade Replace Gas Boilers at Leisure Center in Northern England ATMO MAC: In-Vehicle Tests Demonstrate High Performance of CO2 Compressor for EVs, Says Thyssenkrupp Tecumseh Launches Mobile Refrigeration R290 Compressor Under Masterflux Brand GIZ to Host Webinar...

The U.K.’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is seeking input from industry stakeholders on newly a published proposal to revise the country’s HFC phase-down regulations. The proposed change adjusts the existing HFC phase-down schedule starting on January 1, 2027. It extends the end target, moving it from 79% reduction by 2030 to a 98.6% reduction by 2048. The consultation...

The GIZ (the German Society for International Cooperation) is hosting a webinar on November 26 to showcase the climate action benefits of natural refrigerants in existing building renovations and retrofits through its global nonprofit, the Green Cooling Initiative (GCI). ⁠Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com⁠

A leisure center in northern England has replaced its gas boilers and combined heat and power (CHP) plant with five CO2 (R744) heat pumps supplied by U.K. HVAC&R manufacturer Clade Engineering. The installation at the Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood Hub in Warrington comprises five Maple SN/300 heat pumps , providing a total heating output of 1.5MW (426.5TR). Read the full story on NaturalRefrige...

U.S.-based manufacturer Tecumseh is launching a new propane (R290) compressor under its Masterflux brand compatible with several mobile refrigeration platforms, including traditional combustion engine light commercial trucks and electric delivery vehicles. Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com.

In-vehicle testing of thyssenkrupp Dynamic Components’ CO2 (R744) compressor for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) demonstrates high performance and efficiency across a wide range of operating conditions, including in ambient temperatures above 40°C (104°F), according to the manufacturer. Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com.

Fionnuala Walravens, Senior Climate Campaigner, of the U.K. division of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), is urging investors in large public food retailers in Europe to “really care about cooling” as they evaluate and potentially influence the environmental practices of these companies. Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com.

German OEM ebm-papst has announced that its oil-free, compact propane (R290) turbo compressor has won the 2026 ⁠German Sustainability Award (GSA)⁠ for products in the climate category. The CompaNamic compressor ⁠was unveiled in October 2024⁠ and is designed for refrigeration and heat pump applications. ⁠Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com.⁠  

American retailer Target is prioritizing the use of Skycool’s reflective heat rejection panels to subcool and precool its refrigeration systems, including those using CO2 (R744), according to the group’s Director of Refrigeration Shawn Holzschuh. Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com.

The articles in the podcast are as follows: Strabag Building 165MW Isobutane Heat Pump for District Heating Network in Mannheim, Germany Ebm-papst Wins 2026 German Sustainability Award for Its Propane Oil-Free Turbo Compressor Makro Opens ‘First-of-Its-Kind’ Integrated 1.6MW CO2 Store in South Africa Pressure Exchanger Device for CO2 Refrigeration Found to Cut Energy and Water Use at Stores in U.S...

U.K.-based Lloyds Bank is offering a free propane (R290) heat pump to U.K. households eligible for the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) when they take out or renegotiate a mortgage by November 24. As part of the deal, Lloyd’s partner, Octopus Energy, will inspect the home to determine if it qualifies for the BUS grant and install an air-to-water unit that provides space heating and hot wat...

German utility MVV Energie has commissioned Austrian construction and engineering firm Strabag to build a 165MW (46,920TR) isobutane (R600a) heat pump, which will provide district heating to 40,000 households in Mannheim using the Rhine River as the heat source. Read the full story on NaturalRefrigerants.com.

Wholesale retailer Makro, part of the Massmart Group, has opened an integrated 1.6MW (455TR) CO2 (R744) store in New London, South Africa, which it calls a “first-of-its-kind” for the country. The central CO2 plant, designed by South Africa-based engineering firm Future Green Now (FGN), meets all of the store’s thermal energy loads, which include low- and medium-temperature refrigeration, air-cond...