WHAT ARE GWP RATINGS – AND WHAT DOES ARCTICSTORE HORIZON DO DIFFERENTLY?
GWP (Global Warming Potential) ratings measure how much different gases trap heat in the atmosphere compared to CO2, which has a GWP of 1.
Up until very recently, most refrigerants used in fridges, freezers and other cooling systems had GWPs in the thousands – meaning each unit of these gases trapped thousands of times more heat than the same amount of CO2 over a 100-year period.
Starting in 2025, the U.S. requires new refrigerated transport equipment to use refrigerants with a GWP below 700. The EU, meanwhile, is phasing down HFCs almost entirely, with a full phaseout targeted by 2050. This regulatory push has already driven car makers to replace high-GWP R134a (GWP: 1,430) with far lower-GWP alternatives.
The leading alternative, R1234yf, has a GWP of just 0.5.
All ArcticStore Horizon containers use R1234yf refrigerant, which can safely be used thanks to newly engineered cooling units.
The net result is a drop in GWP levels by more than 99.9%. This is headline news for any business with cold storage needs that takes sustainability seriously.