Zudek: Impact report 2026

Why this matters

Most refrigeration runs on chemicals that warm the planet, or quietly poison it.

HFCs warm the atmosphere up to 14,000× more than CO₂. Their HFO replacements break down into TFA, a forever chemical now detectable in rain, ice, and human blood.

The answer

CO₂, ammonia, hydrocarbons. Proven for over a century. They don't warm the planet, and they don't leave a forever chemical behind.

Natural refrigerants avoid both.

Primary metric

A year of avoided emissions, made visible.

GHG emissions Zudek avoided over the lifetime of 2025's equipment placed in the market.

Zudek · 2025

945,000metric tons of CO₂e avoided.

Over the lifetime of 2025's equipment placed in the market. The comparisons that follow show what that volume actually looks like.

In real-world terms

What it adds up to.

127k

homes / year

powered for a year on the same footprint

220k

petrol cars off the road

for one year of driving emissions avoided

3.9B

km not driven

distance equivalent never burned in a tank

Hidden pollutant

TFA: the forever chemical you haven't heard of.

Trifluoroacetic acid is an ultra-short-chain PFAS that forms as a breakdown product of synthetic refrigerants and accumulates in rainwater. Natural refrigerants don't break down into TFA.

Stage 1 · Emission

HFCs and HFOs leak from refrigeration systems.

Synthetic refrigerants escape over the lifetime of every system: installation, service, end-of-life. The leaks are small, but they add up across millions of installations worldwide.

Refrigerant gas leaking from cooling equipment

Growth

Cumulative avoided CO₂e emissions over the years.

Zudek has been ATMO Approved since 2022, now 5 consecutive years of independently verified impact.

metric tons of CO₂e · GWP 20 years

metric tons of CO₂e · GWP 100 years

Voices from the field

What operators say after a year on natural refrigerants.

Mario Umberto Passiatore

Project Manager

Joulz Italia Srl

Training

Did the training prepare your team to run the system?

The supplier provided the necessary information and held a brief dedicated meeting with our staff who will be on site and will come into contact with the system but interact with it indirectly.

George Boanda

Technical Manager

Prodlacta SA

Performance

How has the system performed over the past year?

The system works and exceeds expectations as soon as it was started. The entire system took over a 1972 refrigeration station in 1 day, without special adjustments. It just worked.

George Boanda

Technical Manager

Prodlacta SA

Quality & Reliability

How has the build quality and reliability held up?

We consider the units reliable. We have had breakdown`s on ventilation motor as some water got inside the motor, a replacement motor was quickly sent to us, and the problem was solved. All the small adjustments post installation was supported by Zudek, also explaining what they changed, for us o better understand how they work and how to keep them working correctly.

George Boanda

Technical Manager

Prodlacta SA

Safety

How has safety been operating natural refrigerants?

The supplier complied with all the safety requirements, also, supported the authorization process of the unit components to Romania requirements. They supplied certifications, detailed drawings and complete procedures to comply with everything.

George Boanda

Technical Manager

Prodlacta SA

Service

How was the level of service and technical support?

Yes, the company supported us from the very beginning, with a visit to factory, measurements and calculations, to be sure that the entire system will be correctly sized for our needs. During preparation for installation they provided us with all required drawings and support, and when units came to our factory, everything was already prepared to install.

George Boanda

Technical Manager

Prodlacta SA

Satisfaction

Would you work with this company again?

We have already ordered a 4-th unit from them this year. The decision was influenced by overall support and the fact that everything works as expected.

George Boanda

Technical Manager

Prodlacta SA

Training

Did the training prepare your team to run the system?

We had training for every major component during FAT, during commissioning, and also post commissioning. Their engineers are always open to share information about how their unit works, what processes we have inside their unit and how to debug and keep them well maintained.

Mario Umberto Passiatore

Project Manager

Joulz Italia Srl

Performance

How has the system performed over the past year?

The system was delivered and installed within the scheduled timeframe. The designers proved to be competent and quick to respond to requests for clarification and/or any modifications, while the installers were fast but, above all, worked safely.

Mario Umberto Passiatore

Project Manager

Joulz Italia Srl

Quality & Reliability

How has the build quality and reliability held up?

The product's reliability meets expectations and we have not experienced any recurring failures or issues.

Mario Umberto Passiatore

Project Manager

Joulz Italia Srl

Safety

How has safety been operating natural refrigerants?

Yes, the supplier meets the requirements to ensure the safety of the product and the system.

Mario Umberto Passiatore

Project Manager

Joulz Italia Srl

Service

How was the level of service and technical support?

We are very satisfied with the technical support during the design phase, and with the respect of delivery and installation timelines. Regarding maintenance-related assistance, in some cases we experienced some organizational issues and misalignment on response times.

Mario Umberto Passiatore

Project Manager

Joulz Italia Srl

Satisfaction

Would you work with this company again?

The overall experience is positive. The supplier proves to be very competent and punctual in the sales, supply, and installation phases of the system.

Mario Umberto Passiatore

Project Manager

Joulz Italia Srl

Training

Did the training prepare your team to run the system?

The supplier provided the necessary information and held a brief dedicated meeting with our staff who will be on site and will come into contact with the system but interact with it indirectly.

George Boanda

Technical Manager

Prodlacta SA

Performance

How has the system performed over the past year?

The system works and exceeds expectations as soon as it was started. The entire system took over a 1972 refrigeration station in 1 day, without special adjustments. It just worked.

George Boanda

Technical Manager

Prodlacta SA

Quality & Reliability

How has the build quality and reliability held up?

We consider the units reliable. We have had breakdown`s on ventilation motor as some water got inside the motor, a replacement motor was quickly sent to us, and the problem was solved. All the small adjustments post installation was supported by Zudek, also explaining what they changed, for us o better understand how they work and how to keep them working correctly.

George Boanda

Technical Manager

Prodlacta SA

Safety

How has safety been operating natural refrigerants?

The supplier complied with all the safety requirements, also, supported the authorization process of the unit components to Romania requirements. They supplied certifications, detailed drawings and complete procedures to comply with everything.

George Boanda

Technical Manager

Prodlacta SA

Service

How was the level of service and technical support?

Yes, the company supported us from the very beginning, with a visit to factory, measurements and calculations, to be sure that the entire system will be correctly sized for our needs. During preparation for installation they provided us with all required drawings and support, and when units came to our factory, everything was already prepared to install.

George Boanda

Technical Manager

Prodlacta SA

Satisfaction

Would you work with this company again?

We have already ordered a 4-th unit from them this year. The decision was influenced by overall support and the fact that everything works as expected.

George Boanda

Technical Manager

Prodlacta SA

Training

Did the training prepare your team to run the system?

We had training for every major component during FAT, during commissioning, and also post commissioning. Their engineers are always open to share information about how their unit works, what processes we have inside their unit and how to debug and keep them well maintained.

Mario Umberto Passiatore

Project Manager

Joulz Italia Srl

Performance

How has the system performed over the past year?

The system was delivered and installed within the scheduled timeframe. The designers proved to be competent and quick to respond to requests for clarification and/or any modifications, while the installers were fast but, above all, worked safely.

Mario Umberto Passiatore

Project Manager

Joulz Italia Srl

Quality & Reliability

How has the build quality and reliability held up?

The product's reliability meets expectations and we have not experienced any recurring failures or issues.

Mario Umberto Passiatore

Project Manager

Joulz Italia Srl

Safety

How has safety been operating natural refrigerants?

Yes, the supplier meets the requirements to ensure the safety of the product and the system.

Mario Umberto Passiatore

Project Manager

Joulz Italia Srl

Service

How was the level of service and technical support?

We are very satisfied with the technical support during the design phase, and with the respect of delivery and installation timelines. Regarding maintenance-related assistance, in some cases we experienced some organizational issues and misalignment on response times.

Mario Umberto Passiatore

Project Manager

Joulz Italia Srl

Satisfaction

Would you work with this company again?

The overall experience is positive. The supplier proves to be very competent and punctual in the sales, supply, and installation phases of the system.

The company

Zudek: company profile.

Zudek is a Trieste-based Italian manufacturer specializing in energy-efficient industrial refrigeration solutions built exclusively around natural refrigerants — primarily ammonia. All units are designed as compact, plug-and-play, low-charge systems, engineered for ease of transport, installation, and commissioning.

Zudek's product range covers the full spectrum of ammonia-based technology: absorption chillers capable of reaching temperatures as low as -60°C through heat recovery, air-cooled and water-cooled vapour compression chillers, heat pumps delivering temperatures up to +90°C in support of industrial electrification and decarbonisation, and integrated or remote ammonia abatement systems. Complementary equipment including electrical control panels, pressure vessels, pumping skids, and connection lines rounds out the offering.

Zudek serves industrial, civil, and commercial markets, with a strong track record in food and beverage, HVAC, plastics, pharmaceutical, chemical, and deep-freezing applications.

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Become ATMO Approved

Does your company use natural refrigerants?

The ATMO Approved label is independently verified. Not self-declared, not marketing. If your equipment runs on CO₂, ammonia, hydrocarbons, or water, you may qualify.

Apply for the label Learn how the process works

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