ATMOsphere, publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com, has released a new report on commercial chillers and heat pumps in Europe.
“Commercial Chillers and Heat Pumps with Natural Refrigerants: Europe 2025” covers the policy and market drivers of the sector. It features data on the number of hydrocarbon, CO2 (R744) and ammonia (R717) commercial chillers and heat pumps currently on the market in Europe as well as the installed base of propane (R290) and CO2 commercial chillers and heat pumps. This data is paired with articles on five companies manufacturing commercial chillers and heat pumps with natural refrigerants in the region.
“Natural refrigerants have been used in commercial chillers and heat pumps in Europe for more than a decade and appear primed to increase their market share,” said Michael Hines, the report’s lead author. “This report shows where the market currently is – and the work a handful of manufacturers are doing to drive it forward.”
“Commercial Chillers and Heat Pumps with Natural Refrigerants: Europe 2025” can be read online here. It can also be downloaded for free by clicking this link.
Market availability and the installed base
ATMOsphere estimates there are currently more than 300 hydrocarbon, CO2 and ammonia commercial chillers and heat pumps on the market from more than 65 manufacturers as of August 2026. Data was gathered from manufacturer websites and product brochures, and equipment was categorized into four types: chillers, heat pumps, reversible heat pumps and four-pipe/polyvalent heat pumps.
In addition, ATMOsphere estimates there were 27,000 commercial propane and 1,000 CO2 chillers and heat pumps installed in Europe as of December 2025. Installation data was gathered from manufacturers via surveys and interviews. Desk research was also conducted, with information gathered from news articles, year-end financial and sustainability reports, and marketing material.
“New natural refrigerant-based chillers and heat pumps are being released in Europe seemingly every week,” said Hines. “While the market is ramping up, natural refrigerants still represent just a small fraction of the installed base. That said, the conditions to scale have only been present in recent years, as this report shows.”
Manufacturers share their stories
Five manufacturers were interviewed for the report: Refra, SCM Frigo, Secon, Systemair and TEKO. Each article features a Q&A with a company leader as well as a case study.
- Refra and Secon spoke about their work with hydrocarbon heat pumps and chillers, and both acknowledged the role the 2024 EU F-gas Regulation has played in driving demand for their products. For its case study, Refra highlighted how its propane and isobutane heat pumps helped a town in England decarbonize its district heating network, while Secon focused on a propane chiller it provided to a newly built Berlin office building that cools workers and IT equipment.
- TEKO and SCM Frigo both work with CO2, with the former offering heat pumps and chillers and the latter currently in the process of rolling out its first-ever CO2 heat pump. Both see demand for CO2 across a wide swath of applications; TEKO is particularly bullish on commercial buildings with simultaneous demand for heating and cooling. That said, TEKO’s case study focused on a chiller with heat recovery it built for an Italian winemaker to provide process cooling, while SCM Frigo detailed one of the first installations of its CO2 heat pump at the factory of a Norwegian heat exchanger manufacturer where it provides space heating and comfort cooling.
- Systemair is also working with CO2 but hasn’t built a heat pump or chiller. Instead it is going to market with an air-handling unit (AHU) featuring an integrated CO2 heat pump. The company sees big potential for its AHU with hotels, wellness facilities and hospitals. Its case study details the in-house testing of its AHU, which is providing space heating, comfort cooling and ventilation at one of its production plants.
