Iceland-based Kælitækni installed natural refrigerant products in 2025 that avoided the lifetime release of 122,500 metric tons of CO2e (GWP 20) and 7.2 metric tons of TFA (trifluoroacetic acid), according to estimations by ATMOsphere, the publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com.
The calculation was done as part of the process for approving Kælitækni for the ATMO Approved Natural Refrigerants Label. That process is underpinned by a model that considers numerous factors, including the lifetime of the installed equipment and leakage rates. In addition to installing natural refrigerant-based systems, contractors like Kælitækni play a role in avoiding CO2 and TFA emissions through their maintenance and servicing activities.
The model assumes that every natural refrigerant-based product sold prevents the sale of an alternative using f-gases, thus avoiding that product’s lifetime refrigerant-related CO2 and TFA emissions. While Kælitækni does not manufacture equipment, it has exclusively worked with natural refrigerant-based systems since 2017, according to CEO Valur Ásberg Valsson.
“Kælitækni has made natural refrigerants the foundation of our business strategy,” Valur told NaturalRefrigerants.com. “As we continue expanding into international markets, the ATMO Approved Label represents an important recognition of our dedication to excellence and our ambition to set the benchmark for natural refrigerant solutions.”
From Iceland to the world
Kælitækni was founded in 1962 and provides blast-freezing equipment, chillers, ice machines and refrigeration equipment. Its customers include food-processing facilities, hotels and restaurants. It works with CO2 (R744), ammonia (R717) and propane (R290).
One of its customers is Hagkaup, an Icelandic retailer and supermarket chain. Kælitækni helped the company replace aging coolers and freezers using f-gas refrigerants with new CO2-based systems, which Svanberg Halldórsson, COO at Hagkaup, said “drastically” reduced energy and maintenance costs.
“When we started business with them, Kælitækni only handled projects in Iceland, but now we are doing projects with them all over the world.”
Roman Weingart,
Head of Heating and Cooling at TEKO
“I have learned a lot from Kælitækni when it comes to CO2 cooling systems,” Svanberg told NaturalRefrigerants.com. “Kælitækni has really taken the time to explain the benefits and mechanics of CO2 cooling systems.”
Mayekawa Sweden, which produces ammonia heat pumps and chillers, is a partner of Kælitækni’s. Alexander Gustafsson, Sales Director, noted that Iceland’s booming fish farming industry presents a major opportunity for the company in the coming years. Other opportunities lie in helping dairy farmers and district heating operators transition away from f-gases, as many still rely on equipment using synthetic refrigerants. District heating in particular is a major opportunity, with Mayekawa Sweden and Kælitækni currently collaborating on a big heat pump project.
“Most recently, we have started working together on a major project involving an ammonia heat pump, with a capacity of approximately 3.5MW [995TR] for Westman Islands – small islands outside of Iceland,” Gustafsson told NaturalRefrigerants.com.
German transcritical CO2 rack manufacturer TEKO also works with Kælitækni in Iceland. The companies are working together to supply a CO2 chiller with heat recovery for a new Hyatt hotel in Reykjavík. “It will do the air-conditioning for the Hyatt Hotel and will also serve the cold rooms, kitchen cold rooms and so on,” Roman Weingart, Head of Heating and Cooling at TEKO, told NaturalRefrigerants.com.
However, like the Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson, Kælitækni’s ambitions extend beyond Iceland. The company has completed projects in Japan, the United States and Africa. Gustafsson called it “remarkable” to see “ a small company from a small island” working on projects around the world. Weingart concurred.
“When we started business with them, Kælitækni only handled projects in Iceland, but now we are doing projects with them all over the world,” Weingart said. “They are very brave to do new projects, and are the first to trial new products we’re developing internally.”
Best-in-class certification
The ATMOsphere label is designed to help qualified manufacturers and contractors market products and services to new customers and regions in the natural refrigerants marketplace. Certified organizations can display the label on products, marketing materials, email signatures and trade show booths, boosting their visibility and helping end users identify best-in-class suppliers.
To qualify, companies must demonstrate excellence across four pillars:
- Company vision – a commitment to natural refrigerants as a core business.
- Customer satisfaction – positive end-user testimonials confirming reliability and performance.
- Measurable impact – mitigation of CO2 and TFA emissions.
- Proactive training – investment in employee and stakeholder education.
Additional information on the 2026 label and the registration form can be found here.
In addition to Kælitækni, the following companies have received the ATMO Approved label in 2026: Ceptek, ENNS Industrial Refrigeration, Güntner, GTS Spa, Fenagy, M&M Carnot, Nihon Netsugen Systems Co., OLAB, RefPlus, Refra, Secon, SRT (Sistemas de Refrigeración Totales), SURE Solutions, Tecnofreddo, TEKO Refrigeration, Unic Air, Vahterus and Zudek.
