Daikin Will Launch CO₂ VRF for the European Market in April 2025

Daikin has announced that it will launch CO₂ (R744) VRF (variable refrigerant flow) for space heating and cooling for the European market in April 2025, with the system “tailored for targeted decarbonization initiatives such as supermarkets and retail establishments, focusing on heating and cooling systems that necessitate the use of natural refrigerants,” according to George Dimou, VRV (variable refrigerant volume) Product Manager at Daikin Europe. 

The Japanese HVAC&R manufacturer said its CO₂ VRF system “inherits all the typical benefits” of VRF, including being “quick and easy” to install while offering “precise” climate control options. Daikin said the system has been Eurovent certified and will be brought to market along with its “Round Flow” cassette.  

Daikin pioneered VRF technology, launching its first multi-split air conditioner for commercial buildings in 1982. It brought VRF to Europe in 1987 where it has become a mainstay in the commercial air-conditioning sector.

When reached for comment by NaturalRefrigerants.com, Dimou said that supermarkets and retail establishments were highlighted in the company’s announcement “based on the findings from our extensive market investigation.” 

“These two sectors already have experience with CO₂ as a refrigerant for commercial refrigeration systems, while most of the key players have the reduction of their carbon footprint highly in their corporate social responsibility,” Dimou told NaturalRefrigerants.com. “Still, this system, being a VRV [Daikin’s trademark for VRF], which is a synonym of flexibility, can be considered for all commercial spaces.” 

Daikin told NaturalRefrigerants.com that, given the diverse load distribution of supermarkets and food retailers, with demand varying throughout the day, “we see a choice for responsive systems like VRV.”

Responding to regulators: Daikin’s CO₂ VRF system is a response to the EU’s revised F-gas Regulation, which became law in March and will phase out HFCs across the bloc by 2050. In addition, Germany is considering a public procurement ban on VRF systems with more than 10kW (2.8TR) of nominal cooling capacity. According to Daikin, the ban would also apply to CO₂ VRF systems. 

• “With the phase-down and [refrigerant] quota restrictions on the horizon, lower GWP solutions need to be developed,” said Daikin. “CO₂ is the next logical step for VRV systems, as it is an ultra-low GWP, non-flammable type A1 refrigerant.” 

Eurovent certification details: In addition to its CO₂ VRF cassette, Daikin has also had a ducted version certified.  

• Both certified systems have a total cooling and heating capacity of 28kW (7.9TR), a cooling SEER of 4.8, a heating COP of 2.94 and an SCOP of 3.5.  

• Dimou noted that Daikin’s 2023 model year R32 VRV 5 system is “more energy efficient for the same capacity as you can see on the Eurovent certification website.” 

• R32 has a 100-year GWP of 771 (IPCC, AR6) and a 20-year GWP of 2,690. Daikin’s R32 VRV was introduced as a replacement for its VRF systems using R410A, which has a 100-year GWP of 2,255, a 20-year GWP of 4,715 and is a PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). 

NatRefs products for Europe: Daikin debuted a CO₂ version of its Conveni-Pack, an integrated system providing commercial refrigeration, comfort cooling and heating,­ and ventilation in a single package, in 2020. The company announced it would release a Round Flow Cassette for supermarkets compatible with the CO₂ Conveni-Pack in 2022. 

• More recently, the company announced plans to launch its first-ever propane (R290) air-to-water residential heat pump in Europe, the Altherma 4 Series. 

Second time’s the charm: Daikin told NaturalRefrigerants.com that the company had previously introduced a CO₂ VRF system back in 2010.

• “At that time, technology was not advanced enough, hence we abolished the range after realizing a limited number of projects,” the company said.
• Daikin said it is “not aware” of any other manufacturers that have launched an R744 VRF system.

Quotable: “Adding CO₂ to Daikin’s broad portfolio of VRV solutions, this innovation diversifies the choices on the market and lays the foundation for further developments,” said Dimou.