Malmö's New Pool Is More Than a Place to Swim—It's a Blueprint

MALMÖ, Sweden – June 10, 2026 – On the surface, the announcement is straightforward: the city of Malmö is building a new swimming facility, Heleneholmsbadet. A ventilation company, Systemair, has been commissioned to keep the air fresh and the humidity in check. It’s the kind of municipal progress that rarely makes waves beyond local news. But look closer, and the story of this pool becomes a fascinating case study in how our world is being reshaped. This isn't just about a new building; it's about the intersection of stringent environmental regulation, corporate foresight, and a city's bold vision for a climate-neutral future.

Beneath the headlines of construction contracts and timelines, the Heleneholm project is a quiet harbinger of a profound shift in how we design the systems that support our communities. It reveals a blueprint where the unseen infrastructure—the ducts, pumps, and refrigerants—becomes a powerful tool for environmental stewardship and long-term economic wisdom.

The Regulatory Catalyst

To understand the significance of Malmö's new pool, we must first look to Brussels. For years, the European Union has been tightening its grip on fluorinated gases, or F-gases. These synthetic refrigerants, common in air conditioning and heat pumps, are potent greenhouse gases, some with a global warming potential thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. The latest EU F-gas Regulation is not just a tightening; it's a paradigm shift, mandating a rapid phase-down of these chemicals and effectively designing them out of our future.

This regulatory pressure has created a crucible for innovation. For industries reliant on cooling and heating, the choice is simple: adapt or become obsolete. This is particularly acute for energy-intensive environments like indoor swimming pools, which require constant dehumidification and heating. The traditional solutions are becoming environmentally and legally untenable.

Simultaneously, another environmental concern has entered the public consciousness: PFAS, the so-called "forever chemicals." These persistent synthetic substances are found in countless products, and their potential health risks have triggered a separate regulatory push for their restriction. The technology being installed in Malmö is, as the company notes, entirely PFAS-free, tackling two critical environmental challenges at once.

A Calculated Bet on Natural Refrigerants

This is where Systemair enters the picture. The Swedish ventilation giant, through its German subsidiary Menerga, has placed a strategic bet on a solution that sidesteps the F-gas problem entirely. At the heart of the Heleneholm facility will be advanced dehumidification units that use carbon dioxide (CO₂), also known by its technical name R744, as a natural refrigerant. With a global warming potential of just 1, CO₂ is an environmentally benign alternative to the synthetic refrigerants being phased out.

This isn't just a simple substitution. The Menerga system is a highly integrated piece of engineering. It uses the CO₂ in a heat pump cycle to not only dehumidify the humid pool hall air but also to recover and recycle its heat. This captured energy is then used to warm the supply air, the pool water, and even contribute to the building's wider energy system. The efficiency is remarkable; Menerga has demonstrated prototype systems with a Coefficient of Performance (COP) over 7, meaning for every unit of electricity consumed, it can generate seven units of heat.

"With our CO₂-based technology, we offer a future-proof solution that combines high energy efficiency with a completely natural and PFAS-free refrigerant – an important step toward more sustainable swimming facilities," says Kent Granberg, Managing Director of Menerga Sweden.

Crucially, Systemair claims to be the only company in Europe currently offering this specific type of integrated CO₂-based technology for swimming pools. By investing in this solution ahead of the strictest regulatory deadlines, the company has carved out a unique market position. "Thanks to the expertise within our Group, we can offer a complete and future-proof solution for complex swimming facility projects," notes Marcus Sandlund, Managing Director of Systemair Sweden. This isn't just innovation for its own sake; it's a shrewd business strategy built on anticipating systemic change.

Malmö's Vision for a Climate-Neutral City

A groundbreaking technology is only as impactful as its application. The decision by the City of Malmö, along with construction partner NCC and installer Assemblin Ventilation AB, to adopt this system is what transforms it from a clever piece of engineering into a meaningful step forward. Malmö has long cultivated a reputation as a leader in sustainable urban development, with an ambitious goal to be climate-neutral by 2030. For city planners, every new project is an opportunity to move closer to that target.

Choosing the Systemair solution for Heleneholmsbadet is a clear expression of this strategy. While it may represent a departure from conventional, time-tested systems, it aligns perfectly with the city's long-term environmental and financial goals. The high energy efficiency of the CO₂ heat pump system promises significantly lower operating costs over the building's lifetime, a critical consideration for a public facility. By investing in a "future-proof" technology that complies with regulations that haven't even fully come into force, the city avoids the risk of costly retrofits down the line.

Heleneholmsbadet is thus being positioned as a "reference project"—a tangible demonstration of what's possible. It sends a powerful signal to other municipalities across Sweden and Europe: the next generation of sustainable public infrastructure is not a distant dream, but an achievable reality. The project illustrates how public procurement can be a powerful driver of innovation, creating a market for green technologies and helping to scale them.

The Unseen Architecture of Health and Efficiency

For the citizens of Malmö who will eventually use the pool, the most complex aspects of this system will be entirely invisible. They won't see the CO₂ refrigerant or the heat recovery coils. But they will feel the results. The superior dehumidification and ventilation will create a more comfortable and healthier indoor environment, reducing the familiar, acrid smell of chloramines that plagues many older pools and can cause respiratory irritation. The building itself will be better protected from the corrosive effects of high humidity, extending its lifespan.

For the facility managers, the benefits are even more concrete. The promise of a turnkey solution, from design to optimized operation, backed by a five-year service agreement, provides operational certainty. The dramatic reduction in energy consumption will translate directly into a smaller carbon footprint and a healthier operating budget. In a world of volatile energy prices, this built-in efficiency provides a vital buffer.

What is happening in Malmö is a microcosm of a larger transformation. It shows that the path to a sustainable future is paved not just with grand gestures, but with countless, carefully considered technical decisions. By deconstructing the systems that heat and cool our buildings, we find opportunities to create a virtuous cycle where environmental regulation drives innovation, strategic investment creates a competitive advantage, and public ambition delivers healthier, more efficient, and more resilient communities for communities.