IIAR 2026: U.S. CO₂ Sales Rising Alongside Industrial Demand for Larger Compressors

Several companies attending the IIAR 2026 conference highlighted increased sales of CO₂  (R744)-related equipment in the U.S., with major compressor manufacturers Danfoss and Dorin indicating an industrial demand for larger CO₂ compressors.

The conference was held March 15‒18 in San Antonio, Texas.

“When I started at Güntner eight years ago in industrial refrigeration, about 90‒95% of requests were for ammonia [R717],” said Tania Herrera, Product Engineer and Key Account Manager at the company. “Now it’s a 50‒50% request split between ammonia and CO₂.”

CO₂ news

Danish manufacturer Danfoss is developing an eight-cylinder CO₂ compressor, with U.S. availability possible by the end of 2026, according to Jay Line, Product Manager of System Controls. At IIAR the company showcased its six-cylinder BOCK CO₂ compressor, which supports cooling capacities of 90‒135kW (25.6‒38.4TR) in medium-temperature (MT) applications and heating capacities of 250‒350kW (71.1‒99.5TR) in heat pumps.

Danfoss also highlighted its recently launched Large CO₂ Ejector. With a 140bar (2,030psi) pressure rating, it is designed to serve as a main expansion valve in industrial racks with capacities above 500kW (142TR). “However, you can change out the cartridge inside and use the same housing in smaller applications,” Line said, adding that it can be used in new racks or system retrofits to improve performance using existing compressor pressure and the Venturi effect.

Italian manufacturer Dorin is also developing an eight-cylinder CO₂ compressor. The company plans to conduct life testing on the unit by the end of 2026, followed by UL certification, with North American availability expected as early as fall 2027, according to Giacomo Piasano, CO₂ Compressors Business Development Manager.

“For the U.S. market, the larger the CO₂ compressor is, the better it is,” said Vincenzo Isgrò, Area Sales Manager at Dorin. “By reducing the number of compressors on a rack, the larger sizes allow CO₂ to compete with ammonia.”

At the conference Dorin showcased its 160HP six-cylinder CO₂ compressor, offering up to 200kW (56.9TR) of cooling capacity in −10°C (14°F) MT applications, up to 250kW of capacity in −30°C (−22°F) low-temperature applications and up to 500kW (142.2TR) of heating capacity in heat pumps.

Temprite, a U.S. manufacturer of oil management products, is ramping up production to meet growing demand for its CO₂ offerings, including specialized equipment designed to address pressure and capacity gaps beyond its standard product lines, according to Mechanical Engineer Hector Perez. “The U.S. is finally waking up to transcritical CO₂,” he said, while noting a strong demand in the region for Temprite’s 130 series of oil separators. The series covers CO₂ system capacities from 4 to 330kW (1.1 to 94.8TR), depending on model and operating conditions.

Ammonia applications

Swedish manufacturer Alfa Laval showcased its T25 semi-welded plate heat exchanger, released in January, with Refrigeration Sales Manager Zack Ellis noting that the company has already sold three units in the U.S. The roughly 10ft (3m)-tall heat exchanger fills the port gap in the company’s semi-welded products, fitting between the 8in (220mm) port of the T20 unit and the 12in (300mm) port of the MA30 unit.

Other technical improvements to the T25 heat exchanger include a guard that prevents gasket exposure when tightening plates and a uniport on the refrigerant side ‒ a supported gasket groove that improves gasket sealing and retention at higher pressures. The design supports ammonia and 60bar (870psi) cascade applications of CO₂, with Ellis indicating that it can be configured for roughly 1MW (284.3TR) of cooling capacity, depending on plate count and geometry.

At the system level, Danfoss has installed its packaged control solution NeoCharge, launched in early 2025, in 15‒20 ammonia sites operating in the U.S., according to Line. Each unit can control a single panel or as many as 20 evaporators. The three-piece unit, consisting of a controller, motorized control valve and sensor, increases efficiency by “eliminating superheat” in direct expansion (DX) ammonia or CO₂ systems. “With the majority of our installations in retrofits, we typically see better system performance very quickly,” Line said, adding that Danfoss has a few clients working to install NeoCharge in CO₂ systems.

By the numbers

The growing regional demand for CO₂ in industrial applications, as reported by manufacturers at IIAR 2026, aligns with data from ATMOsphere’s 2025 report “Refrigeration: Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration with Natural Refrigerants.” ATMOsphere is the publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com.

The number of industrial sites using transcritical CO₂ refrigeration systems in the U.S. has grown from 208 in 2023 to 540 in 2025, while in Canada it has gone from 290 to 700 in the same period. The approximately 1,240 industrial facilities in North America using transcritical CO₂ systems in 2025 reflect a 42% year-over-year growth.

Although CO₂ has a higher growth rate, ammonia remains firmly entrenched in North America. Approximately 1,480 industrial facilities have adopted low-charge ammonia systems, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 20% and a 1.4-fold increase since 2023.