19DECEMBER 2023By Wayne Borrowman, Director, Research and Development, CIMCO Refrigeration As pressure builds to decarbonize every sector of industry, transitioning from gas fired furnaces and boilers to natural refrigerant heat pumps is a proven way to cut emissions and realize utility savings. The introduction of a Carbon Tax and the rising cost of fossil fuel gases further supports this transition, making industrial natural heat pumps an attractive investment. The federal Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act of 2021 requires a 50 percent emissions reduction by 2030. This means that the industry is fast running out of time to drastically transform its operations to meet this target. Fuel switching from fossil fuel to hydrogen is not the answer. The infrastructure required and the resulting operating costs can be exorbitant. Switching to natural refrigerant heat pumps is more cost-effective and cuts emissions significantly, as seen by a growing number of successful installations around the country (and the world). "The large-scale natural refrigerant heat pump market is poised for remarkable growth, driven by the eco-friendly attributes of carbon dioxide and ammonia as a refrigerant, increasing demand in commercial establishments, and proactive government initiatives to reduce carbon emissions," explained David Fauser, sales director at CIMCO. Heat pumps are nothing new ­ the technology has been around in applications of all sizes for many decades. The residential heat pump market in particular has recently enjoyed a massive boom, especially in Europe where the need to accelerate decarbonization was driven by the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war INSIGHTSDECARBONIZING THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR THROUGH NATURAL REFRIGERANT HEAT PUMPSWayne Borrowman
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