Polarpure GTS: high-purity natural refrigerants for commercial chillers and heat pumps

Behind every hydrocarbon-based chiller or heat pump lies a supply chain that starts with gas production. GTS produces and distributes propane (R290), isobutane (R600a) and butane (R600) with a minimum purity of 99.5%, up to 99.99% under the Polarpure lines, controlling the entire hydrocarbon supply chain starting from the raw material. Production is ISO 9001:2015 certified, with ATMO Approved status confirmed for several consecutive years, and ISCC PLUS certification guarantees supply chain traceability for bio-LPG, supporting low-environmental-impact production.

For chiller and heat pump manufacturers who must comply with the new GWP limits under the F-gas Regulation while maintaining high efficiency and safety standards, access to a high-purity natural refrigerant with a controlled supply chain is a baseline requirement, not a secondary detail. The ATMOsphere report "Commercial Chillers and Heat Pumps with Natural Refrigerants – Europe 2025" confirms the size and outlook of the market in which GTS customers operate.

The market: growing, but still a niche

According to ATMOsphere estimates (units between 30 and 400 kW, data as of August 2026):

• over 300 products (chillers, heat pumps, reversible heat pumps and four-pipe/multi-purpose heat pumps) are available on the European market, offered by more than 65 manufacturers;
• 27,000 commercial propane chillers and heat pumps are installed across Europe (as of December 2025), compared with 1,000 CO₂ units;
• overall, propane and CO₂ still represent less than 5% of the total installed base.

For context, in 2023 the European market for chillers above 50 kW alone was worth €1.9 billion, with HFCs still holding 74% of the market and natural refrigerants at just 1%: the room for substitution — and therefore for growth for suppliers such as GTS — remains substantial.

The regulatory push: what changes for GTS customers

The engine of the transition is the EU F-gas Regulation, whose 2024 revision introduced:

• a total ban on HFCs in new HVAC&R equipment from 2050;
• staggered GWP limits for commercial chillers and heat pumps: GWP 750 for stationary chillers above 12 kW from January 2027; GWP 150 for self-contained air conditioners and monobloc heat pumps between 12 and 50 kW from January 2027 (150 for other self-contained units from 2030); for split systems above 12 kW, GWP 750 from 2029 and 150 from 2033.

Adding to this is the proposed universal restriction on PFAS substances, under review by ECHA, which could also affect HFO refrigerants (R1234yf, R1234ze) currently used as a low-GWP alternative to HFCs — the SEAC committee's final opinion is expected by the end of 2026. Any further restriction on HFOs makes hydrocarbons such as R290 and R600a an even stronger low-GWP alternative, provided a reliable, high-quality supply is available.

Hydrocarbons, CO₂ and ammonia: different profiles, same goal

Hydrocarbons — propane (R290), isobutane (R600a), butane (R600), the core of the Polarpure line, offer high efficiency and operating pressures close to those of synthetic refrigerants, making them a direct replacement in many comfort cooling and process cooling applications; in heat pump mode they deliver high supply temperatures at moderate pressures. The ATMOsphere report places two other families of natural refrigerants alongside hydrocarbons: CO₂ (R744), effective for high-temperature heat production and heat recovery thanks to its low critical temperature, and ammonia (R717), highly efficient but toxic and mildly flammable, traditionally confined to large industrial plants and now expanding into the commercial scale thanks to "low-charge" technologies.

Applications already in the field

The report documents real-world installations of natural refrigerant systems already operating in Europe: in Solihull (United Kingdom), six hydrocarbon heat pumps (five propane, one isobutane) totaling 1.6 MW supply the city's district heating network; in Berlin, a propane chiller cools offices and IT equipment in a new office tower. Applications span the full range of the sector: comfort cooling in offices, hotels and hospitals, process cooling and heating in the food and pharmaceutical industries, domestic hot water production and, increasingly, high-density data center cooling.

What to expect in the coming years

With F-gas Regulation GWP limits tightening between 2027 and 2033, the REPowerEU target of 30 million additional heat pumps installed across Europe by 2030, and the outcome of the PFAS restriction still to be determined, demand for high-purity natural refrigerants in the commercial segment is set to grow further. GTS, with its Polarpure line and direct control of the hydrocarbon supply chain, positions itself as a supplier for manufacturers who need to meet these limits without compromising on efficiency and safety.

Frequently asked questions

What does GTS produce for the HVAC&R sector?
Natural refrigerants under the Polarpure brand — R290 (propane), R600a (isobutane) and R600 (butane) — with a minimum purity of 99.5%, up to 99.99%, and a hydrocarbon supply chain directly controlled by GTS.

What is meant by a "commercial chiller or heat pump" in the ATMOsphere report?
Units with a cooling or heating capacity between 30 and 400 kW (8.5–113 TR), a segment between residential and large industrial installations.

Why does the 2024 F-gas Regulation accelerate the adoption of natural refrigerants?
Because it introduces a total ban on HFCs in new equipment from 2050 and staggered GWP limits starting in 2027 for commercial chillers and heat pumps, progressively narrowing the space for synthetic refrigerants with high global warming potential.

Visiting Chillventa? Meet our team at Hall 4, Booth 4-257 to discuss Polarpure supply and technical specifications.

GTS produces and distributes high-purity Polarpure natural refrigerants (R290, R600a, R600) for the HVAC&R sector. Discover the natural refrigerant gas range or contact GTS for information on supply and technical specifications.