ATMOsphere Reapproves Natural Refrigerants Label for Vahterus

The ATMO Approved label is a global gold standard highlighting best-in-class manufacturers and contractors of natural refrigerant systems and components.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, October 1, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- ATMOsphere, a global market accelerator of clean cooling and heating solutions and publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com, has reapproved the ATMO Approved Natural Refrigerants Label for Vahterus, a Finnish manufacturer of plate and shell heat exchangers.

Vahterus first received the ATMO Approved label in 2024. Mauri Kontu, Founder and CEO, told NaturalRefrigerants.com he’s “proud to be recognized by ATMOsphere as a best-in-class natural refrigerants company” and that he’s “certain natural refrigerants are the future.”

“Today an increasing number of organizations and associations are promoting the use of natural refrigerants in heat pumps and other refrigeration solutions,” said Kontu. “We at Vahterus have worked for over 35 years on natural refrigerant development and continue our careful study in this field. Together we can discover sustainable solutions to tackle climate change and build a safe environment for the next generation.”

The ATMO Approved label, launched in June 2022, was created to offer a global benchmark for identifying leading manufacturers of natural refrigerant systems and components. In 2024 the label’s scope expanded to include contractors and installers. The model for the label was updated in 2025 to quantify avoided TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) emissions thanks to an approved company’s use of natural refrigerants.

Large heat pump projects

Vahterus’ plate and shell heat exchangers have been used in many industrial heat pumps. This includes a 9.4MW (2,672TR) ammonia (R717) heat pump built for a district heating network in Denmark designed and installed by the Danish company Multi Køl & Energi. Peter Piilgaard, Senior Sales Manager at Multi Køl & Energi, said his company will “definitely” use Vahterus heat exchangers for new projects.

“We have used both combined evaporators for the icewater production and heat exchangers for the production of the 93°C [199°F] water from the ammonia condenser system,” said Piilgaard. “The results exceed expectations on both sides of the icewater/heat pump system.”

Exodraft Energy, another Danish company that builds and installs large scale heat pumps, has also used Vahterus heat exchangers. Michael Finseth, Head of Engineering, said the heat exchangers “demonstrate exceptional efficiency by ensuring reliable and stable thermal transfer in demanding industrial applications.”

“Their robust design and proven performance provide both operational reliability and long-term energy savings, confirming their effectiveness in sustainable cooling and heating processes,” Finseth added.

Quantifying PFAS/TFA

A notable addition to the 2025 label criteria is the focus on eliminating PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which include TFA, a byproduct of the atmospheric degradation of many HFO and HFC refrigerants. 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.”

Vahterus is a 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.

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.

Vahterus is the 15th company to be approved for the ATMO Approved label in 2025, joining Secon, Güntner, Ceptek, RefPlus, Novum, OLAB, Nihon Netsugen Systems, Equans Kältetechnik, Refra, GTS, Fenagy, ENNS Industrial Refrigeration, Zudek and SURE Solutions.

About Vahterus

Vahterus is a Finnish family business founded in 1990. We are the inventor, pioneer and market leader in Plate & Shell Heat Exchanger technology. Our heat exchangers are built for the next generation: they save energy, are compact in size, always custom-made, and because of their fully welded structure, they’re durable enough for even the most demanding conditions.

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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