TEKO CO2 Products Sold in 2024 Avoided Lifetime Release of 3.94 Million Metric Tons of CO2e and 127.5 Metric Tons of TFA

The calculation was based on a 20-year GWP and done as part of the process for reapproving TEKO for the ATMO Approved Natural Refrigerants Label.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, October 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- TEKO, a German manufacturer of commercial and industrial CO2 (R744) racks, chillers and heat pumps, sold natural refrigerant products in 2024 that avoided the lifetime release of 1.04 million metric tons of CO2e (GWP 20) and 5.5 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 reapproving TEKO for the ATMO Approved Natural Refrigerants Label. That process is underpinned by a model that considers numerous factors, including avoided CO2 and TFA emissions. 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.

This is the third time TEKO has been reapproved for the ATMOsphere label. TEKO was the first company awarded the label when it was launched in 2022.

“At TEKO Refrigeration we don’t see this as a one-time achievement but as part of a long-term journey toward a greener future,” said Managing Director Andreas Meier. “As part of this journey, we’ve expanded our portfolio to include chillers and heat pumps. With each renewal, we strengthen our environmental commitment and continue to grow our climate-conscious initiatives for a healthier planet.”

PFAS, TFA in the spotlight

The focus on avoiding PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which include TFA, a byproduct of the atmospheric degradation of some HFO and HFC refrigerants, is a new addition to the label criteria for 2025. Recent research has deemed TFA a “planetary boundary threat” due to its potential risks to human and environmental health.

“The label criteria around PFAS acknowledges what companies are doing to ensure they are PFAS-free,” said Marc Chasserot, the CEO and Founder of ATMOsphere. “ATMO Approved companies have the vision and leadership required to navigate the market today and help [organizations] move away from PFAS and global-warming synthetic alternatives.”

Emissions avoided

The CO2 racks, chillers and heat pumps TEKO placed in the market in 2024 avoided CO2 emissions equivalent to the energy use of 529,000 homes per year in the United States based on data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a 20-year GWP. Put another way, it was also equivalent to taking 919,000 cars permanently off the road. Expanding the timeline from 2021 to 2024 increases those figures to 1.24 million homes and 2.17 million cars, respectively.

The avoided TFA emissions of 127.5 tons were calculated using an annual leak rate of comparable products using synthetic refrigerants. TFA has been found in human blood, usually at levels higher than that of longer-chain PFAS, and a study published last year called TFA a “planetary boundary threat.” Longer-chain PFAS with a similar chemical architecture (known as perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids), such as eight-carbon PFOA, have been tied to harmful health impacts, including reproductive toxicity, ulcerative colitis and cancer.

TEKO is a founding member of the Coalition for PFAS Free Cooling & Heating, which promotes natural refrigerants as alternatives to PFAS in cooling and heating systems and ambitious PFAS regulations in Europe.

ATMOsphere is also a founding member of the Coalition.

Fully meeting expectations

Customer feedback is also essential in supporting a company’s earning the ATMO label. Holger Schemm, CEO of refrigeration, HVAC and building management installer Ent-tro, said TEKO’s racks have “fully met our expectations.”

“By making full use of the waste heat – and also thanks to the outstanding control technology from Wurm – we achieve excellent efficiency with these systems,” said Schemm. “TEKO not only delivers systems that meet the highest safety standards but also trains the plant engineers with its own staff on the latest technologies.”

The KKVB Group, TEKO’s parent company, announced in April 2024 that it was acquiring Vitalis, a Canadian manufacturer of CO2 heat pumps and chillers for commercial and industrial applications. The move enabled TEKO to offer Vitalis products in Europe, further expanding its reach. Nadine Neuberger, Management Assistant and Head of Marketing, said at ATMO Europe 2024 that the company was establishing a new business unit for commercial and industrial heat pumps and chillers.

“There is a huge opportunity, and we have to serve it,” she said.

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 2025 label and the registration form can be found below.

TEKO is the 16th company to be approved for the ATMO Approved label in 2025, joining joining Vahterus, Secon, Güntner, Ceptek, RefPlus, Novum, OLAB, Nihon Netsugen Systems, Equans Kältetechnik, Refra, GTS, Fenagy, ENNS Industrial Refrigeration, Zudek and SURE Solutions.

About TEKO

TEKO has been successfully active in refrigeration technology for over 40 years and offers innovative refrigeration solutions for food. Based on its many years of experience in food refrigeration, the company has specialized in standardized series products for various applications for the cooling of fresh goods. This includes retailing, logistics, food production and commercial refrigeration.

TEKO offers multi-compressor systems, high-quality refrigeration components from exclusive partner companies and control electronics from Wurm Systeme and combine this with the broad range of specialist expertise and in-depth product knowledge of our qualified and dedicated employees.

About ATMOsphere

For the past 20 years, market accelerator ATMOsphere (formerly shecco) has been active in helping bring climate-friendly technologies faster to market. ATMOsphere supports over 100 partners worldwide in the HVAC&R sector, where the focus is on sustainable refrigeration, heating and cooling technologies using natural refrigerants.

Marc Chasserot
ATMOsphere
marc.chasserot@shecco.com
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