Cimco Commits to NatRefs-Only in Ice Rink Systems

Cimco Refrigeration, a Toronto, Canada-based industrial refrigeration contractor, announced today that it has committed to manufacturing recreational ice rink refrigeration packages using only natural refrigerants ammonia (R717) or CO₂ (R744), and will no longer use high-GWP refrigerants, including HFO blends such as R513A (with a GWP of 573).

Cimco “has upped its commitment to climate-friendly ice rink refrigerants” with low-to-zero GWP, the company said in a statement.  

“Cimco recognizes that our industry has a key role to play in eliminating super-polluting refrigerants like hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),” says David Malinauskas, President of Cimco. “Our new offerings align with the Kigali Amendment and Montreal Protocol. They also exceed the new California Air Research Board’s (CARB) regulation for new ice rinks to only use refrigerants with a GWP of less than 150.”

“We are doing our part with climate-friendly refrigerants like CO₂ and ammonia and have refined our product offerings with the environmentin mind,” he added. “These refrigerants have zero or negligible GWP and will clearly be the new industry standards.”

Cimco has built thousands of rinks using natural refrigerant-based systems across North America, including the rink at Toronto’s Evergreen Brick Works, and Oak Park Ice Rink in Stockton, California (U.S.), which will be the state’s first CO₂ ice rink.

After redesigning its product lineup, Cimco now offers four climate-friendly ice rink refrigeration packages, as well as heat-recovery technology to help ice rinks further reduce their carbon footprint. The four packages include Eco Chill (ammonia or CO₂), Natural Ice (ammonia or CO₂), Breakaway (CO₂) and Heritage (ammonia).

“We look forward to working with ice rink owners and operators across Canada and the United States, whether they’re building a new net-zero facility or working at an existing facility and transitioning to a climate-friendly future,” says Malinauskas.