Hillphoenix, a division of Dover Food Retail and a long‑time proponent of natural‑refrigerant technology, has expanded its industrial CO₂ offering with the launch of AdvansorUltra, a standardized rack platform aimed at large industrial refrigeration users. Announced in early January 2026, the new system is designed to capture rising demand for transcritical CO₂ solutions in cold storage, food processing, and pharmaceutical applications as operators move away from synthetic refrigerants with high global warming potential.
From custom systems to a scalable CO₂ platform
Until now, Hillphoenix’s industrial CO₂ systems have largely been engineered‑to‑order, tailored project by project. AdvansorUltra represents a pivot to a platform model, with standardized designs that can be configured and replicated across multiple sites. Company executives say this evolution allows Hillphoenix to better control quality, streamline manufacturing, and reduce lead times, critical factors as industrial clients seek faster deployment across large facilities and distribution networks.
According to Hillphoenix, a single AdvansorUltra rack can deliver up to 450TR (approximately 1,583kW) of refrigeration capacity, and multiple racks can be combined for high‑capacity sites such as regional cold stores or processing plants. The platform is designed for a broad operating envelope, covering typical industrial temperature ranges and extending down to about ‑57°F (‑48°C) for deep‑freeze and specialised processes.
Key technical features of AdvansorUltra
The new platform is built around transcritical CO₂ technology, which uses carbon dioxide as the working fluid in both medium‑ and low‑temperature applications. Hillphoenix highlights several technical features intended to enhance performance, flexibility, and ease of service:
- High‑capacity, transcritical design: Each rack provides up to 450TR of capacity, making AdvansorUltra suitable for large industrial facilities that previously relied on ammonia or HFC‑based plant.
- Wide operating range: The platform covers typical industrial medium‑temperature ranges and can reach deep‑freeze conditions down to around ‑57°F (‑48°C) for spiral freezing and other specialised duties.
- Parallel compression option: Optional parallel compression improves efficiency at higher ambient conditions by reducing compression work on the flash gas, a key benefit for transcritical CO₂ systems in warmer climates.
- Flexible heat reclaim: Customers can choose air, water, or hydronic heat‑reclaim configurations, allowing recovery of waste heat for building heating, process loads, or domestic hot water.
- ChargeSecure™ system: Hillphoenix’s ChargeSecure feature helps preserve the CO₂ charge during certain service events or power interruptions, supporting uptime and reducing the risk of costly refrigerant losses.
- Improved serviceability: The rack layout provides more isolated and accessible service points, enabling technicians to perform many maintenance tasks without fully shutting down the system.
Taken together, these features aim to give industrial end users a robust, efficient, and service‑friendly CO₂ platform that can be scaled across a portfolio of sites.
Supporting the CO₂ skills transition
Alongside the product launch, Hillphoenix has upgraded its training facility in Conyers, Georgia, to help bridge the skills gap for technicians moving from legacy refrigerants to transcritical CO₂ systems. The company’s learning centre will offer hands‑on courses focused on design, operation, safety, and troubleshooting of CO₂ racks, including AdvansorUltra.
Hillphoenix positions this investment in training as an essential complement to its technology roadmap, arguing that widespread industrial adoption of natural‑refrigerant systems depends as much on technician readiness as on equipment innovation.
Strategic push into industrial refrigeration
The launch of AdvansorUltra builds on Hillphoenix’s established presence in commercial and retail CO₂ systems and marks a deeper push into the industrial segment, where demand for low‑GWP solutions is accelerating due to tightening regulations and corporate decarbonisation targets. By moving to a standardized platform, the company aims to capture larger projects while maintaining competitive lead times and consistent performance across installations.
Executives describe AdvansorUltra as a cornerstone of Hillphoenix’s long‑term strategy to grow in cold storage, food processing, pharmaceuticals and other process‑critical sectors that require reliable, high‑capacity refrigeration with a lower environmental impact. As more industrial operators commit to phasing down synthetic refrigerants, platforms like AdvansorUltra are expected to play a central role in the shift to CO₂‑based systems.