Woolworths Holdings Ltd Supermarket
As of 2014, Woolworths South Africa had 24 retail locations with transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems.The CO2 systems have given the retailer up to 45% energy savings.
Commercial Refrigeration
The commercial refrigeration sector accounts for approximately 26 per cent of the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) sector’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Catalysed by EIA’s Chilling Facts campaign the global supermarket sector is now shifting towards natural refrigerants.
European retailers are at the forefront of this trend with 10% of the European food retail sector using natural refrigerant based refrigeration (excluding small stores).
Refrigeration systems account for up to 60% of the total energy used in supermarkets, making energy efficiency improvements vital to reducing the climate impact of the sector.
Woolworths Supermarket
Australia’s largest food retailer, Woolworths, announced that it planned to install CO2 cascade systems in 90 new stores in 2013 after the success of its pioneer green supermarket in Sydney.
Wegmans Supermarket
In 2010, the new Wegmans store in Woodmore, Maryland, opened with freezer cases using CO2 refrigerants. In 2012, Wegmans opened a new distribution center with CO2 refrigerants.
Warehouse Supermarket
In 2006, Warehouse was the first supermarket in New Zealand to install a cascade CO2 system that uses CO2 for cooling display cabinets and cold rooms at low temperatures, and propylene at medium temperatures.
Walmart Supermarket
Walmart is in the R&D stages of a transition to non-HFC technology. By 2012 the company will have a pilot program that will consist of 30-40 new and retrofitted stores running on a secondary loop CO2 system. The secondary loop CO2 system will reduce the HFC refrigerant charge from 4000lbs to 200lbs in each store, according to conversations between Walmart and Greenpeace. In 2017 Walmart opened its first CO2 store in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is estimated that the system will reduce the store’s annual energy bills by 21%.
Walgreens Supermarket
In 2013, Walgreens installed it’s first net-zero energy store in Evanston, Illinois. The store has a transcritical CO2 and geothermal heat pump system, which uses ground water to heat and cool the store, with reported energy savings of over 60%.
Waitrose Supermarket
As of 2017, UK company Waitrose had 168 stores operating on a complete hydrocarbon integralized system. These equate to around 48% of the company’s total number of stores. This water-cooled/propane natural refrigerant system will be installed in all stores by 2020 and a program of work is underway to achieve this. The company estimates that the propane refrigeration technology will reduce its carbon footprint by 20%. Waitrose reports that the water-cooled hydrocarbon integrals have resulted in energy efficiency gains of around 29% since 2012. The system is based on a combination of high-efficiency air-cooled chillers supplied by Klima-therm and manufactured by Geoclima that utilize R290 propane and use water as the condensing medium to supply Carter Retail Equipment integrated cabinets operating on propane hydrocarbon-based scroll compressors. It makes use of split coils to keep the propane charge under 400g, together with liquid pump amplification and floating head pressure and conventional free cooling below 18°C. The system design allows for the harnessing of heat from the integral refrigeration units to deliver warmth into the space between cabinets, in order to offset the in store “cold aisle” effect. This helps boost efficiency and overcomes the need for a separate heating system.
Verdemar Supermarket
In 2010, Verdemar became the first supermarket to install a CO2 refrigerant system in Latin America. The cascade CO2 system is said to emit 6 times less greenhouse gases than conventional HFC-404A systems. As of 2014, Verdemar has two of its six stores operating on natural refrigerants, with cascade systems adopted as standard for all new stores. It plans on installing 100% HFC-free stores at a future date.
By January 2012, Unilever had placed over 900,000 hydrocarbon ice cream freezers around the world, including South Africa, China, Europe, Brazil, and a trial in the United States. According to Unilever reports, these freezers contain less than 150g of hydrocarbons in their refrigerating circuit, and have a 9% energy savings over their HFC counterparts.
The company will reach the 1-million unit mark by the end of 2012, and by 2015 all of Unilever’s new ice cream freezers will be HFC-free. In an industry precedent setting move, Unilever pioneered the testing of hydrocarbon ice cream freezers in the United States in its Ben & Jerry’s ice cream stores. In 2008, the company requested from the EPA to test up to 2,000 units.
With this move, Unilever penetrated the wall of regulatory obstacles that had, until then, kept hydrocarbon cooling technologies out of North America. Unilever was instrumental in influencing the EPA’s subsequent approval of hydrocarbons in 2011.
In 2012, the company announced plans to roll-out hydrocarbon freezer cabinets in the US for other Unilever brands (including Breyers, Good Humor, Klondike, Magnum and Popsickle). In 2016, Hindustan Unilever, an India-based subsidiary of Unilever announced it was rolling out freezer cabinets that use hydrocarbon refrigerants. Unilever claims that its HFC-free point-of-sale freezers have the potential to reduce energy by 70% compared to its 2008 baseline, making them 20% more efficient than the current technology.
The Cooperative Food Group Supermarket
The British retailer, the Co-operative Food Group, plans for all new refrigeration installations to be HFC-free by 2015 and all older stores retrofitted to be HFC-free by 2030. In 2011, the company implemented an initiative for all new stand-alone chillers and freezers to be hydrocarbon-based. The same year, The Co-operative also retrofitted 3 stores with a CO2 based refrigeration system. As of 2014, HFC-free cooling accounts for almost 23% of total refrigerant used.
Tesco Lotus Supermarket
Tesco Lotus in Thailand was the first supermarket in Asia to have installed a cascade CO2 system. It was built by the Australian company, Frigrite, and installed by Carrier. This system won the ‘International Achievement of the Year’ at the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Cooling awards in 2012.
Tesco Supermarket
In 2013, Tesco announced that all new Tesco Extra and Superstore models would be fitted with natural refrigeration systems. As of 2016, Tesco operated 250 CO2 transcritical stores, including 40 in Hungary, 14 in Poland, 11 in Ireland, five in Czech Republic, three in Slovakia and two in Thailand.
Tesco China Supermarket
As of 2013, Tesco China had five stores using a CO2 cascade refrigeration system. The cascade system enables the retailer to reduce the HFC charge from 1500kg down to 200kg.
Tengelmann Group Supermarket
In 2008, the German food retailer, Tengelmann, opened its first climate-friendly supermarket based on a CO2 refrigeration system in Malheim an der Ruh, Germany. Geothermal heating, waste heat from the refrigeration system, solar panels and energy efficient display cases have made this store the most energy-friendly supermarket in Germany. The Tengelmann Group is using this initial pilot project to serve as a blueprint for further projects using CO2 in Tengelmann supermarkets.
Tesco Express Hungary Supermarket
By 2013, Tesco Express Hungary completed 35 CO2 transcritical and CO2/NH3 refrigeration installations. An innovative ‘Three Level System’ (TLS) combines air-conditioning with mid-level temperature and low-level temperature food cooling.
tegut…gute Lebensmittel Supermarket
In 2008, tegut…gute Lebensmittel, a German food retail chain, opened its first supermarket operating completely with CO2 refrigeration in Lorsch, Germany. The transcritical system has a CO2OLtec refrigeration system and e*cube energy-saving display cases provided by the Carrier Corporation. Due to the positive results from this first store, in 2010, tegut…gute Lebensmittel came to an agreement with Carrier to provide 50 more stores with the CO2OLtec refrigeration systems and e*cube refrigerated display cabinets and freezers. The endeavors, which will be completed in 2012, are expected to yield up to 50% energy savings and result in a reduction of approximately 3,500 metric tons of CO2-eq each year (equivalent to 1,900 cars on the road).
Supervalu Supermarket
In 2012, Supervalu, the American supermarket chain, opened its expanded 40,300 ft² Albertson’s store in Carpinteria, California, using natural refrigerants. A primary ammonia cooling system located in an outdoor enclosure chills the cascading CO2 secondary cooling system that is distributed throughout the store. A food display cabinet uses propane. In correspondence with Greenpeace, Supervalu stated the ammonia system is outperforming the standard HFC-407a system beyond what was expected.
Star Market Supermarket
In 2010, the Star Market store in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, received the US EPA’s coveted GreenChill Partnership Platinum Store award for reducing the R-404A charge by 90%, from 4000 lbs to 270 lbs. They accomplished this by installing a glycol and CO2 secondary cooling system. Glycol heat-exchange fluid is used for cooling display cabinets and CO2 fluid is used for freezer cases.
Sobeys Supermarket
Sobeys, Canada’s second largest food retailer with more than 1700 stores across the country, plans to install CO2 refrigeration systems in all new stores. Sobeys was the first retailer to deploy transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems in North America in 2006, starting in Quebec, and has gone HFC-free in new stores in Quebec since 2009. Due to recent price drops, Sobeys reports that the naturally-refrigerated systems now cost the same as conventional synthetic systems, and the CO2 systems yield, on average, 8% more in energy savings per year. At the start of 2017 it had approximately 90 transcritical CO2 stores, equipping 15-20 stores annually with CO2 transcritical, including both new stores and retrofits.
Sonae
In 2016, this Portuguese retailer with almost 250 stores announced that it would be rolling out HFC/CO2 hybrid cascade systems to replace HFC-404A in all new stores and large refurbishments of existing stores, with 52 of these already operation. The retailer also has four ammonia/CO2/glycol cascade systems and is using hydrocarbon plug-ins.
Sainsbury’s Local Supermarket
Sainsbury’s Local, the conveinance store division of Sainsbury’s in UK, installed the first small-scale transcricital CO2 refrigeration system in Solihull. The system has helped the store reduce GHG emissions by 33% over conventional HFC-based systems.
Sainsbury’s Supermarket
As of early 2017 this British supermarket operated 1,415 stores. It had 216 CO2 transcritical supermarkets and eight convenience stores with natural refrigerants, seven with CO2 booster systems, and one with a hydrocarbons-glycol configuration. In 2012, the company estimated that it has over 16,800 chilled and freezer cabinets connected to these systems, which contain 75 tonnes of CO2 and saves 250,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions when compared to using HFC-404A.In 2016, Sainsbury’s began a three year trial of Carrier Transicold’s prototype transport refrigeration system based on CO2 refrigerant.
Royal Ahold Supermarket
As of 2014, Royal Ahold had rolled out CO2/HFC cascade systems across 262 of its European stores. The company is also in the process of trialling four CO2 transcritical systems in stores in Europe and the USA.
REMA1000 Supermarket
In 2013, the Norwegian supermarket chain REMA1000 opened a 100% green, pilot project store using an integrated CO2 refrigeration system with heat recovery. The store is expected to reach up to 30% in energy savings. Based on this pilot project, REMA1000 plans on building similar stores over the next few years.
REWE Supermarket
In 2008, large European food retailer commited to use CO2 refrigeration in all new small-sized supermarkets in Germany. As of 2013, REWE has over 15,000 refrigerated cabinets using natural refrigerants across its stores in Germany. In 2016, CO2 refrigeration technology was used in 79 stores, with a further 115 planned, however it was unclear whether these were mostly CO2 transcritical or HFC/CO2 hybrid systems.
Red Bull
Red Bull has started the switch to ECO-Coolers for the cooling of beverages in recent years. ECO-Coolers combine the use of hydrocarbons (R290 and R600a) and technical improvements, such as energy-efficient fans. ECO-Coolers consume up to 45% less energy than previous generations of cooling equipment. Red Bull is monitoring the performance of its ECO-Coolers in various countries. Based on favorable CO2 emissions data, Red Bull’s ordering guidelines guarantee that wherever feasible, from a legal and technical point of view, only ECO-Coolers will be installed in the future. According to conversations Greenpeace had with Red Bull, as of 2012, there were 313,000 ECO-Coolers in use worldwide, representing 35% of Red Bull’s entire fleet of cooling equipment.
Prodega Cash and Carry Supermarket
In 2011, Prodega opened in the town of St Blaise a 3,000 sq-meter store featuring transcritical CO2 refrigeration combined with a heat recovery system that uses the waste heat for adsorption cooling, which in turn increases the cooling capacity of the CO2 refrigeration system. The system was designed by Frigo-Consulting.
REAL
This German retailer is part of the Metro Group. As of 2016 it had 293 stores. 23 stores use HFC/CO2 hybrid cascade systems and a further six stores use CO2 transcritical systems.
Pick n Pay Supermarket
In 2009, Pick n Pay, one of the largest supermarket chains in Southern Africa converted (with the help of GIZ Proklima) three stores in climatically different zones in South Africa (in Johannesburg and Cape Town) to a cascade system using CO2 and glycol. The company has since converted another 45 stores to HFC/CO2 cascade systems.
As of April 2012, PepsiCo had over 147,000 HFC-free units (coolers and vending machines) in the field worldwide. The majority of these units are hydrocarbon-based. The company has pioneered testing of CO2 and hydrocarbon equipment in the United States. Since 2009, all of Pepsi’s commercial cooling equipment in Turkey has been HFC-free.The new hydrocarbon units contain propane and isobutane refrigerants that cut direct greenhouse gas emissions by 99%. In terms of energy efficiency, the new units use on average 48% less energy than the 2004 models. In conversations with Greenpeace, PepsiCo disclosed that in US pilot projects, hydrocarbon units used 20% less energy than Energy Star requirements. In 2014, PepsiCo announced that all of the company’s new point of sale equipment for installation and use in the United States will be HFC free by 2020. The company confirmed that in the same year, 90% of the company’s new point of sale equipment traded in the European market was HFC-free.
Panasonic’s first CO2 transcritical rack
Panasonic unveiled its first CO2 transcritical rack in 2018. The rack was installed in a Beijing supermarket in the summer of 2018. The current target market is the Asian market for larger capacity CO2 based HVAC&R systems. Eliwel provides the system controls while Dorin supplies the compressors. Complete training and maintenance will be provided for the customer.
Orchard Hotel
This project was a conversion from HCFC-22. It involved a 3-hp Tecumseh cold room.
Nordby Supermarket
The Nordby Supermarket in Sweden, one of the largest supermarkets in Scandinavia, has cut energy consumption by 20-30% using a transcritical CO2 booster refrigeration system from Danfoss. This field test store was set up in 2013 and the CO2 solution provides cooling for freezers, refrigerators and cold rooms. Furthermore, heat is reclaimed to heat the supermarket during the winter months.
New World Supermarket
The transcritical CO2 system was installed in the New World Wellington store in 2012. Among its features are a Bitzer rack system with seven CO2 compressors and a booster, which have helped to reduce store carbon emissions by 50% compared to conventional HFC-based systems in operation 5 years ago. Following these recordings, in May 2014, New World announced that, where practical, it would roll-out transcritical CO2 technology across all new and refurbished stores.
Netto Supermarket
Netto is a Danish discount supermarket chain with about 200 stores in the UK. The company has installed CO2 refrigeration systems in all of its Danish fresh meat warehouses, as well as in one 21,500 sq-meter meat warehouse in the UK.
Nestle Refrigeration Plant
Nestle has installed a number of ammonia plug and play chillers in its refrigeration plants in Angola, Zimbabwe and Tunisia. Each system reportedly reduces CO2e by 12 tonnes per year compared to an HFC-134a chiller.
Nestle
In 2013, Nestle pledged that going forward all new commercial horizontal ice cream chest freezers bought by Nestle across Europe would use only natural refrigerants. The new horizontal ice cream chest freezers will reduce energy consumption by more than 33%, in comparison with existing systems. By 2014, Nestle had installed 18,000 hydrocarbon freezers worldwide.
Musgrave
This Irish retailer has 670 stores. In 2016 is was piloting one HFC-free system using glycol.
Morrisons Supermarket
By the end of 2009, Morrisons planned to have 20 of its 418 UK stores use CO2 refrigeration. In 2011, Morrisons opened a supermarket using hydrocarbon refrigerants throughout the store.
Metro Supermarket
Operating in 35 countries under Metro Cash and Carry, Makro Cash and Carry and Real. As of 2017, CO2 transcritical technology has been rolled out to 51 stores, including one in Romania, five in Italy and one in Spain. CO2 cascade systems have been rolled out to 66 stores, including 28 in China, one in Ukraine, 18 in Russia and three in Turkey. Reported energy savings: 25% energy savings ‘like for like’, compared to existing, installed systems.
Migros Supermarket
In 2002, Migros began to install CO2 refrigeration systems in its stores in Switzerland. As of 2016, Migros had installed 403 CO2 transcritical refrigeration systems in stores across Switzerland.
Makro
Since its first CO2 transcritical system was installed in 2010, South African retailer Makro has installed a further three in refurbished stores and seven in new stores, with a view to going HFC-free in all new stores and refurbishments. As of 2014 over half of the company’s refrigeration systems were reported to be running on 100 per cent HFC-free technology. In 2015, Makro opened its first Spanish store using CO2 refrigeration.
Marks & Spencer Supermarket
In 2010, Marks & Spencer committed to adopting natural refrigerant systems using reduced HFC hybrid systems with CO2 or hydrocarbon refrigerants in all new supermarkets. The company is committed to being HFC-free by 2030. The company has also helped training technicians in developing countries in the use of natural refrigerants.In 2016, CO2 transcritical systems were adopted as standard for all new stores since 2016. In 2016, it had 37 stores running on CO2 transcritical alongside numerous others using HFC/CO2 cascade systems.
In 2003, McDonald’s opened the world’s first HFC- and HCFC-free restaurant in Vejla, Denmark. According to UNEP records, this pilot project realized CO2 emission reduction of approximately 27% to a comparable McDonald’s restaurant. The test equipment included: R290 (propane) soda machine (post-mix type), R290 (propane) Juice Dispenser, R290 (propane) Milkshake and Ice Cream Machine, R290 (propane) Meat Freezer, R290 (propane) Wall-Hung Freezer, R290 (propane) Ice Cube Machine, R600a (isobutane) Salad Refrigerator, R290 and CO2 Refrigerating Room, R290 and CO2 Freezing Room, CO2 Air-Conditioning and Heating. In 2011, McDonald’s Germany opened the first HFC-free restaurant in Heidelberg. To date, McDonalds Europe, in partnership with their equipment suppliers have developed and approved HFC-free alternatives for six of the eight pieces of refrigeration equipment: juice dispensers, ice cube machines, frozen fry dispensers, drinks systems, reach-in coolers and freezers and meat/wall freezers. McDonald’s Europe has already implemented 1,495 HFC-free meat freezers, 845 frozen fry dispensers and 1,025 reach-ins and salad displays and are continuing to work with suppliers to push for viable alternatives for all refrigerant equipment. According to conversation between Greenpeace and McDonald’s, the company plans to have in place HFC-free solutions for all small refrigeration systems by the end of 2013 and start development of HFC-free solutions for the remaining larger systems.
Lidl Supermarket
In 2010, Lidl decided to install integrated heat-cooling systems based on hydrocarbons in all new stores and to equip about 200 new stores with R290 technology by 2012. The systems use R290 cooling cabinets. Furthermore, waste heat from the cooling cabinets is recycled and used for heating the store. In 2011, Lidl opened a new store with the integrated system in Achim-Baden, Germany; Lidl reports a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and 10% energy savings for this store. In March 2014, Lidl opened its first carbon-neutral store in Brussels featuring a CO2 and hydrocarbon refrigeration system; the CO2 neutral store expects to save 58 tons of CO2e.
Lidl Supermarket UK
In 2014, Lidl announced it was testing new plug-in hydrocarbon chillers, with a view to rolling these out across its wider European estate from 2015.
Lawson Supermarket
Popular Japanese retailer Lawson committed to using CO2 refrigeration as standard in all new stores since September 2014. In 2016, it opened its 1600th convenience store fitted with a transcritical CO2 refrigeration system in Japan. In 2014, the retailers also opened its first three CO2 convenience stores in Indonesia. By 2016, the decision to adopt CO2 refrigeration had reportedly reduced Lawson’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by 40,000 tonnes of CO2e.
Kaufland Supermarket
As of September 2014, Kaufland has 99 stores using CO2/HFC cascade systems.
ICA Sweden Supermarket
According to conversations between ICA Sweden and Greenpeace, ICA Sweden has around 30 stores that use 100% natural coolants and the number is growing. Since 2010, the natural refrigerant of choice has been CO2; ICA uses transcritical-CO2 systems in all new stores and larger store renovations.Large stores primarily use glycol, which circulates in the system and cuts the amount of cooling agents. Glycol is used in the refrigeration systems and carbon dioxide is used for freezers at ICA Maxi, Kvantum and Supermarket.
Iceland Supermarket
In 2014, Iceland announced it was trialling hydrocarbon integral systems in five of its UK stores. The retailer also announced it was trialling a further water-chilled system running on hydrocarbons.
Hillpheonix
Hillphoenix, a Dover company, is a large manufacturer of refrigerated display cases, refrigeration systems, specialty coolers, and walk in coolers. The company was instrumental in having the US EPA approve the use of CO2-based refrigeration under the SNAP Program. In 2011, Dover acquired the Danish Advansor A/S company, which specializes in the design and manufacture of HFC-free, CO2 transcritical refrigeration and heat pump systems for supermarkets and light industrial applications. Together, Advansor and Hillphoenix have more than 550 CO2 systems operating in supermarkets in the United States, Europe and Canada. In July 2014, manufacturer Hillpheonix opened the most southerly CO2 transcritical booster system in North America, at the Sprouts Farmers Market in Dunwoody, Georgia. In 2017, Hillpheonix installed its 4th transcritical direct CO2 ice rink system in Alaska.a
Harrods Supermarket
In 2011, the department store replaced its aging HCFC/HFC refrigeration system in the store’s Food Hall with a transcritical CO2 refrigeration system to cool cold rooms and food display cabinets. Waste heat from the cooling packs is used for generating hot water for the store.
Haglund Industri
Haglund Industri produces hydrocarbon professional kitchen refrigerators and freezers.
Heineken
Aiming for a 50% reduction in the carbon footprint of its installed fridge base by 2020, Heineken is rolling out hydrocarbon refrigerant bottle coolers at a global scale. As of 2014, the company has installed over 800,000 coolers worldwide, with an additional 130,000 hydrocarbon based coolers being produced each year. Heineken’s policy is that, whenever technically and legally possible, every new fridge it buys will include hydrocarbon refrigerant, LED illumination and energy management system thermostats. With these three elements, the company expects energy reduction of at least 38%, as well as lower maintenance costs and a longer fridge lifespan. The brewer has been working with suppliers Frigoglass and Klimasan to meet their specifications globally.
H-E-B Supermarket
In 2013, H-E-B opened a 7,710m2 supermarket in Austin, Texas operating on a propane-based refrigeration system. H-E-B has estimated the system reduces CO2e emissions by 1,556 tonnes each year.
Gram Commercial
Gram Commercial produces hydrocarbon commercial refrigeration kitchen equipment (refrigerators, freezers and bottle coolers) that are marketed in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. .
Foodland IGA Supermarket
Opened in 2009, the Foodland IGA supermarket in Adelaide, features CO2 refrigeration. The company aims to be among the “greenest” supermarkets in the country.
Foodstuffs NZ Supermarket
New Zealand retailer Foodstuffs NZ has deployed CO2 refrigeration in a number of new and refurbished supermarkets. The company successfully tested a CO2 transcritical pilot project in 2012. As of 2014, at least 9 new and refurbished stores are being planned with the HFC-free refrigeration systems. Foodstuffs NZ expects energy savings between 5-25% in comparison to other refrigeration systems it has used in the past.
Eurospar Supermarket
In 2008, the supermarket chain Eurospar, installed the chain’s first transcritical CO2 refrigeration system in its store in Klangenfurt, Austria. Carrier Commercial Refrigeration did the installation.In 2009, the SPAR Group installed an integrated Carrier system in its store in St. Gilgen, Austria and announced plans for similar installations in four additional stores. SPAR Austria operates about 1,400 stores in Austria, as well as stores in Northern Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Czech Republic and Croatia.
FamilyCash
In 2015, FamilyCash, part of the Grupo Unagras, opened its first store in Mula, Murcia, complete with ten cooler display units and 16 freezing islands that operate on a CO2 and R290 cascade system. The freezing islands are capable of operating at temperatures ranging from -18°C to 23°C (-0.4°F to -9.4°F). In addition to operating on natural refrigerants, the system also features an inverter compressor, helping to achieve total energy savings of 23% compared to a traditional HFC system while also significantly reducing CO2 emissions.
Fakta Supermarket
In 2011, the Fakta supermarket chain had 61 stores operating with transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems. It is reported that the company’s second generation transcritical CO2 booster systems delivers 10% energy savings over similar non-CO2 systems.
Epta Refrigeration Systems
In 2014, Epta installed its first CO2 transcritical system in a Simply store in Bilbao, Spain.In 2017 the EPTA Group launched a Full Transcritical Efficiency (FTE) solution for improving the efficiency of CO2 refrigeration systems in warmer climates. The system is based on a basic CO2 booster system. Testing carried out over a two-year period in Italy demonstrated that systems are capable of delivering a stable efficiency gain of around 10%.
Eroski Supermarket
In July 2014 Spanish retailer Eroski reported it was achieving 65% energy savings through a CO2 cascade system installed in Northern Spain, when compared to conventional systems. The award winning store system is one of 22 cascade systems that Tewis have in operation in Spain, and also benefits from a heat recovery and free cooling system allowing additional energy efficiency savings of 30% on the store’s air conditioning system.
Edeka Supermarket
Since 2010, the German food retail cooperative Edeka, has been recommending CO2 as the company’s refrigerant of choice to its self-employed shop owners. With special environmental funds provided by the German government, it subsidizes the efforts of the independent Edeka entrepreneurs towards optimized refrigeration using natural refrigerants. One Edeka market in the north of Germany is reporting 25% energy savings running a CO2 transcritical system.
El Corte Ingles Supermarket
As of 2014, El Corte Ingles had around 8 stores running on CO2/R-134a cascade systems, equating to around 3% of the company’s total retail estate.
Drakes Supermarket
In 2008, Drakes supermarket in Australia installed a transcritical CO2-only cooling system without any back-up system in its North Adelaide store. This was the first of its kind in Australia.
DIA
Owns over 7,800 stores and operates in Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Brazil and China. In 2017 it reported a small number of Spanish stores using HFC/CO2 hybrid cascade systems.
Denny’s Restaurant in Clearwater, Florida
Denny’s Restaurant in Clearwater, Florida uses a naturally refrigerated desiccant system manufactued by Advanced Thermal Technologies to cool existing facilities.
Del Monte Cold Storage
In 2007, Del Monte built a 30,000m² cold storage facility in Dubai, UAE. The system, using ammonia, condenses at 40°C to provide enough cooling for over 40,000 fruits and vegetables per year.
Danone
Danone has 1,000 coolers using hydrocarbon technology in a number of countries, including Denmark, Mexico, and Germany.
Dalian Zhangzidao Fishery Group Cold Storage
In 2013, the Dalian Zhangzidao Fishery Group opened the largest CO2/ammonia cascade cold storage facility in China on Zhangzi Island. The system is the first in China to operate on both CO2/ammonia and brine systems, reportedly helping to reduce the ammonia charge size by 90%.
Countdown Auckland Supermarket
In 2012, Countdown Auckland opened its new supermarket featuring a transcritical CO2 refrigeration system.
Coop Schweiz Supermarket
Coop Schweiz has adopted CO2 transcritical as standard for all new and refurbished stores since 2010. As of 2014, Coop Schweiz has coverted 268 stores to CO2 transcritical systems, representing around 1/3 of its total estate. The same year, the company also installed Russia’s first ever CO2 system.
Coop Sverige Supermarket
The Advansor system uses combined parallel compression and heat pump technology to cool and heat the Coop Sverige store in Tocksfors, Sweden.
Coop Liguria
In June 2015, Coop Liguria announced it had installed a CO2 transcritical booster system in a store in Carasco, Italy. The store has a sales area of 5,500 m2. The system has a cooling capacity of 105kW at the medium temperature, a 15.3 kW at the low temperature for the 1st circuit with a 113kW at the medium temperature and 16kW at the low temperature for the 2nd circuit. Coop Liguria opened its first CO2 transcritical system in 2002 at a store in Lestans and has since announced it will adopt CO2 as the standard refrigerant for all new stores and retrofits for low temperature refrigeration. The new systems also benefit from heat recovery which is used to heat hot water to be used throughout the store.
COOP Schweiz
COOP is the second largest supermarket chain in Switzerland, with over 1000 stores. Starting in 1998, the company began to install subcritical CO2 refrigeration systems. In 2004, the company installed its first direct expansion CO2 system, and in 2009 the company opted to make transcritical CO2 booster systems the standard for new and rebuilt stores. In these systems a central system cools the network of display cabinets and walk-in coolers, in both the low and medium temperature range. These systems reduce the direct CO2 equivalent emissions for COOP from 30,000 kg to 30 kg per year. The system is engineered by Frigo-Consulting AG and installed by Alpiq InTec West AG. As of 2014, COOP had 273 stores using natural refrigerants, including one in Russia. Since 2010, all new stores and renovations have used natural refrigeration systems, with almost all of them using CO2 and giving up to 30% better energy efficiency. Furthermore, their logistics centers (distribution centers) all use ammonia. COOP has a goal to be CO2-neutral by 2023.
Condor Supermarket
In 2011 Condor, the Brazilian supermarket chain installed a subcritical CO2 cascade refrigeration system, developed by Bitzer and Electrofrio, in their hypermarket store in Curitiba. The energy savings is 20% in the freezer sector and 5% in the overall refrigeration system. Propylene glycol is used as the heat transfer fluid, and the HFC charge is reduced by 90%.
In October 2019, Coolinn opened a cryogenic sauna using Mirai’s air cycle refrigeration unit. Cryogenic saunas, essentially very cold rooms, are used by athletes to recover from injury and for other health benefits. Mirai COLD units use air as the refrigerant in a one stage system to reach very low temperatures up to -110C. Ambient air is free, abundant, environmentally friendly, non-toxic and non–flammable, and there is no need for refilling – making it the ideal refrigerant. The Mirai Cryo uses nitrogen instead of air and can achieve temperatures from -130C to -160C. . Mirai Cold units can be used for biomedical storage, food storage, freeze drying food, industrial cooling and cryotherapy.
The Mirai COLD 15 air-cycle refrigeration machine won ‘Innovation of the Year’ at the Accelerate Magazine/Europe awards in October 2019.
Coca-Cola vending machines
More than 60,000 CO2 compressors for The Coca-Cola Company’s machines have been installed to date. Some of the machines include a module refrigeration system called “Cassette,” which allows for the easy replacement of refrigerant—ideal for technicians without expertise in the servicing/maintenance of refrigeration equipment containing natural refrigerants. As CO2 system requires a special tooling for servicing, the cassette concept is a good solution.
Coca-Cola Company
Since 2000, The Coca-Cola Company has developed new, high-efficiency, CO2 technology for commercial equipment (vending machines, coolers and fountain dispensers). On December 3, 2009, Coca-Cola announced that, globally, 100% of its new vending machines and coolers will be hydrofluorocarbon-free (HFC-free) by 2015. To date Coca-Cola has placed over 1 million units using natural refrigerants on the market.Coca-Cola Enterprises, the exclusive Coca-Cola bottler for all of Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, plans to only purchase HFC-free coolers as of January 2013. According to Coca-Cola, with 40°C ambient temperatures, key suppliers achieved better efficiency with CO2 than with R134a, and in all countries in the world, yearly averages indicating that CO2 in cold drink equipment performs better than R134a. As of 2016, Coca-Cola™ HFC-free coolers numbered over 1,800,000 units, 50% of these coolers are CO2 based. Coca-Cola has reported energy efficiency gains of 40% since 2000.
Carrier
A United Technologies Company, Carrier is the world’s largest producer of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration systems. Under the CO2OLtec label, the company has developed CO2 refrigeration systems for supermarkets and other large applications. Carrier developed a two-step technology with the refrigerant that allows the pressure on the supermarket shop floor to be kept at around 40 bars with only the plant areas requiring higher pressures.The Carrier CO2 integrated system uses one central compressor pack device to operate the air conditioning and heating equipment as well as the refrigerated cabinets. “With one device managing all these functions efficiently together, energy consumption can be optimized. In addition, the waste heat from the system can be reused in operations, reducing CO2 emissions.” In September 2017, Carrier announced it had installed over 6500 racks, the majority of which are CO2 transcritical. Carrier also produces hydrocarbon based refrigerated cases and display cabinets.
Carrefour
Carrefour’s Nichelino store in Northern Italy uses a CO2 Transcritical system with parallel compression, heat recovery for tap water and facility heating (400 kW) and liquid and gas ejectors. It was designed by Swiss refrigeration consulting and engineering company Frigo-Consulting. The system reduces the store’s carbon footprint by reducing both direct and indirect emissions, achieving the former by switching from R-404A (whose GWP is 3,922) and R-134a (GWP of 1,430) to CO2 (GWP of 1), and the latter thanks to the advanced refrigeration and the reduced energy for heating.
Carrefour Romania Supermarket
In December 2015, it was reported that Carrefour had opened a transcritical CO2 system in a hypermarket in Timisoara, Romania, complete with parallel compressors and multi-ejector technology. The store is the first in Romania to use this modern technology, which is expected to yield energy savings of 13% over a regular CO2 transcritical pararallel compression system. In addition to providing refrigeration, the system also features heat recovery technology, which is used to provide hot water and heating for other parts of the store, reducing its carbon footprint. Since 2013, Carrefour had installed or remodelled eight more of these systems in Romania.
Cafe Royal Hotel
In 2014, Cafe Royal in London became one of the first hotel’s to use a CO2 refrigeration system. The installation of a CO2 central refrigeration pack provides cooling for the hotel’s 15 cold rooms and over 45 refrigeration units. The system is reported to be 40% more efficient than conventional systems, with an estimated pay-back time of 2.5 years. The use of a CO2 heat recovery system also provides hot water heated to 80°C for use throughout the building.
Carlsberg
Carlsberg has deployed over 3,500 coolers using hydrocarbon technology in Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Booths Supermarket
In 2010, Booths, a retail chain with an inventory of 26 stores in Britain, opened the first of its stores using CO2 for all of its refrigeration demands. Booths plan to switch to CO2 refrigeration in all of its stores by 2020. In addition, the company reports 45% energy savings by placing glass doors on all refrigerated cabinets.
Bio Company
This German retailer has 50 stores. In 2017, it reported using a salt water cooling system in one store.
Ben & Jerry’s
In 2008, the Unilever company Ben & Jerry’s initiated a test project in the U.S. using hydrocarbon ice cream freezer in select locations. Following the success of the test project, and the US EPA’s 2011 approval of the use of hydrocarbons in commercial stand-alone freezers, Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s announced plans in 2012 to only purchase hydrocarbon freezers for the US market. Ben & Jerry’s has approximately 100,000 freezers in the United States.
Beak & Johnstone Cold Storage
Beak & Johnston’s cold storage complex in Greenacre, NSW, installed a two-stage ammonia system in 2007. The system provides cooling at -35°C at the low temperature and -10°C at the high temperature.
Auchan
In 2015, it was estimated that Auchan operated about 60 stores on CO2 cascade technology. Data from a Spanish store suggests energy savings of approximately 10% over conventional HFC systems.
Asahi Brewery
Asahi Brewery announced in 1999 that the company was installing a co-generation energy system at the Nagoya plant, using ammonia absorption for air-conditioning and hydrocarbons for the beer vending machines. The company expects to save 400 million yen a year from the resultant energy savings.
Angle Vale Drakes Supermarket
Angle Vale Drakes supermarket, opened in 2007, was the first store in Australia to use a CO2 refrigeration system.
Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Market
The 28,000 m2 Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Market store in Carol Stream, Illinois opened in October 2014, featuring one of the USA’s largest CO2 transcritical systems at the time.
Alpiq Intec
Alpiq Intec is a building and facilities management provider in Switzerland. Under its Refrigeration Technology Department, Alpiq Intec installed the first transcritical-booster CO2 refrigeration system for the Swiss retail giant COOP in 2009.
Alnatura
In 2017, this German retailer with 113 stores announced plans to run all new stores with natural refrigerants.
Albert Heijn
Belongs to the Ahold-Delhaize group. As of 2017 it owned 998 stores of which 367 stores were operating on HFC/CO2 hybrid cascade systems and a further 63 were using CO2 transcritical refrigeration. Albert Heijn has committed to using transcritical CO2 systems in all new Dutch installations.
Aldi Nord
As of 2017, it owns 4,876 stores. Of these, five are CO2 cascade systems. Aldi Nord claims that natural refrigerants are now standard for all new stores
Aldi Sud
In January 2010, the giant German food discount chain, Aldi Sud, began to implent a plan to only install CO2 refrigeration systems in new stores in Germany. This plan has spread across its European stores. In 2017, it had 111 CO2 cascade systems in Austria, five in Hungary and four in Slovakia, plus eight stores using CO2 transcritical in Switzerland. From 2017, CO2 systems will be installed in all new stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland. In April 2017, Aldi Sud reached its 1000th CO2 installation, estimating that 54% of its stores now run on CO2. Combining CO2 refrigeration with heat recovery is leading to energy savings.
Alfamart 649 stores
Alfamart has 649 stores in Jakarta recording energy savings of 25% as a result of their conversion from HCFC-22 to hydrocarbon-based cooling systems.
Ahold-Delhaize
Formed in 2016, with the merger of Ahold and Delhaize, this retail giant owns 21 brands, covering 6,500 stores. At the end of 2016, 13% of its stores used natural refrigerants. It has 638 stores in the EU using CO2, including 29 in southern Europe and nine stores in the United States.
AEON is one of the largest retailers in Asia and is also a member of the Consumer Goods Forum. The company operates stores under several brands, including JUSCO and MaxValu. Since 2009, the company has been testing and optimizing a Sanyo CO2 direct expansion refrigeration system for supermarket showcases in Japan. In 2012, the company unveiled a plan to go HFC-free with natural refrigerants: 10% of all new stores in 2012, 15% of all new stores in 2013, 25% of all new stores in 2014 and 100% of all new stores in 2015. The company also plans to gradually convert the refrigeration systems in its existing 3500 stores. As of February 2017, it had 99 supermarkets using CO2. The new systems have reduced energy consumption during refrigeration operation by 10-20% compared to previous HFC systems and reduced CO2 emissions by about 50%.
The first transcritical CO2 refrigeration system was installed in a supermarket in Amman, Jordan in March 2018.
The system at the Al Salam military supermarket will act as a test bed for HFC-free technology in high ambient countries. It is being implemented by UNIDO and CCAC with the support of the Ministry of Environment of Jordan.
The new CO2 transcritical booster system with parallel compression replaced an R-22 system. To ensure high efficiency, the system also uses multi-ejector technology and non-superheated evaporator technology. The waste heat will be recovered for hot water supply.
The energy use of the supermarket will be monitored to observe and record the energy efficiency gains of the new system. The system was found to save 20-30% more energy than a similar sized HFC system in a nearby shop and is expected to save hundreds of dollars per year.
The technology supplier of the project is Abdin Industrial, a Jordanian family-owned company, which provided the four and five door cabinets, set up all piping and finalised the on-site installation. The company worked closely with Italian-based international system manufacturer Enex who supplied the refrigeration system. Core components used in the installation come from Alfa Laval, Danfoss, Dorin, Lu-Ve, Temprite and others.
Organisations involved in the pilot are already investigating ways to work with government to expand adoption of the technology across the country, where HFC and HCFC refrigeration is widespread.
7-Eleven
This project was a conversion from HCFC-22. It involved a split unit and walk-in-freezer.
Williams Refrigeration
Williams Refrigeration offers a line of hydrocarbon (R290) cabinets for the food service and bakery industry. The product contains 100 g of propane and with the use of “Cool Smart” intelligent controllers and self-closing doors can realize energy savings of up to 15%. The hydrocarbon range is designed to operate efficiently and effectively in the harshest of environments, up to 43°C ambient. The hydrocarbon cabinets are available at no extra cost across the entire range of cabinets and counters.
VLS 024 SDD
New integrated ice bank technology with increased storage capacity provides selfcontrolling and reliable temperatures in the area of +2°C to +8°C within a large ambient temperature area of +5°C to +43°C.
Solar panels are connected directly to the appliances. Hydrocarbon DC compressor, cyclopentane blown enhanced insulation foam. No harm to the ozone layer and global warming, as well as no additional running costs.
VLS 054A SDD
The integrated ice bank technology with increased storage capacity provides selfcontrolling and reliable temperatures in the area of +2°C to +8°C within a large ambient temperature area of +5°C to +43°C.
Solar panels are connected directly to the appliances. Hydrocarbon DC compressor, cyclopentane blown enhanced insulation foam. No harm to the ozone layer and global warming, as well as no additional running costs.
VLS 094A SDD
The integrated ice bank technology with increased storage capacity provides selfcontrolling and reliable temperatures in the area of +2°C to +8°C within a large ambient temperature area of +5°C to +43°C.
Solar panels are connected directly to the appliances. Hydrocarbon DC compressor, cyclopentane blown enhanced insulation foam. No harm to the ozone layer and global warming, as well as no additional running costs.
Verco
Verco produces commercial hydrocarbon based display cabinets, including open chill, plug-in and glass door cabinet ranges.
Vestfrost Solarchill
Vestfrost’s MKSO44 model vaccine cooler meets the World Health Organization’s qualifications for performance, quality, and safety. The units are qualified for +20 to +32°C ambient temperatures (but have operated under a wider range of ambient temperatures; from +10 to 42°C). The unit’s fan is controlled by a rechargeable ancillary battery. Model details are as follows. Gross volume: 48 liters, Storage capacity: 19.5 liters, Autonomy time: 147 hours, Holdover time: 114 hours, Cool down time: 96 hours, Power requirement: 160 watts, Approximate cost without solar panels: 1100 EUR.
Vestfrost Solutions
Vestfrost, a large Danish cooling equipment manufacturer, markets a vast array of commercial equipment using natural refrigerants. The majority of the company’s products are available with hydrocarbons (R-600a and hydrocarbon blends). Products include a range of commercial refrigerators, freezers, display units, chests, wine chillers, and vaccine coolers, with more to come.
True Manufacturing
True Manufacturing is a global commercial refrigeration manufacturer that supplies the foodservice, hospitality, QSR, institution, beverage, and retail industries. The company currently offers self-contained refrigerators and freezers with less than a 150-gram charge of R290 to foodservice and beverage customers throughout the EU. True Manufacturing is also offering select glass door merchandisers (display cabinets) to key retailers throughout the USA
True Energy BLF 100 DC
True Energy’s BLF 100 DC model vaccine cooler meets the World Health Organization’s qualifications for performance, quality, and safety. The units are qualified for temperatures between +5 to 43°C. Additional model details are as follow. Gross volume: 99 liters, Storage capacity: 124 liters, Autonomy time: 72 hours, Holdover time: 170 hours, Cool down time: 148 hours, Approximate cost without solar panels: 3,050 EUR.
TDM-R-77-GE/GE-B-W
True’s refrigerated display merchandisers combine efficient, high volume merchandising and exceptional refrigeration with an elegant curved glass front for sophisticated presentation of high end desserts and pastries. Factory engineered, self-contained, capillary tube system using environmentally friendly R-290 hydrocarbon refrigerant that has zero (0) ozone depletion potential (ODP), & three (3) global warming potential (GWP). High capacity, factory balanced refrigeration system. Standard temperature range maintains cabinet temperatures of 33°F to 41°F (.5°C to 5°C), ideally suited for refrigerated bakery and cold deli products.
Staycold
Staycold’s “Green Sense Plus” range of products features chillers and coolers that use cyclopentane foam for the insulation and R600a as the refrigerant. These units are fully functional at high temperatures and humidity (up to 40°C and 77% humidity).
Smart range
The Greek manufacturer Frigoglass in 2009 launched its Ecocool range of cold drink dispenser equipment using natural refrigerants R290, R600a, or R744 as well as the use of natural substances in the insulation. The company has a client base of 15 countries around the world, and customers include Coca-Cola bottlers (Coca-Cola Hellenic, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Amatil, Coca-Cola Sabco), international brewers (Heineken, Carlsberg, SAB Miller, ABInbev, Efes) and dairy companies (Nestle, Danone).
Frigoglass has production hubs in Romania, Russia, Turkey, India, China, Indonesia, South Africa, and Nigeria.
Solarchill
Palfridge, with the support of GIZ ProKlima, the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol and UNDP, owns the first factory in Africa to have converted its entire production line to hydrocarbons. The company also developed its own prototype of SolarChill.
Palfridge’s MC72 model medical unit has a pending application with the World Health Organization’s performance, quality and safety qualification program. The model is designed for an ambient temperature up to 48°C. Additional model details are as follows: Gross volume: 50 liters, Storage capacity: 20 liters, Approximate cost with solar panels: 1400 EUR.
Palfridge also manufactures a domestic unit designed for food storage.
Sanyo Electric
Sanyo sells hydrocarbon domestic refrigerators and CO2 commercial refrigerators. The company also sells CO2 showcases and heat pumps, and CO2 compressors for vending machines.The company reports that since 2005 almost all beverage companies in Japan are purchasing some of their vending machines with natural refrigerants (either CO2 or HC). There are over 60,000 CO2 vending machines in the Japanese market today. Sanyo also produces compressors for “hot and cold” CO2 vending machines that provide both hot and cold beverages in one machine. As well, the company produces CO2 heat pumps and water heaters under the label “EcoCute”. Industry-wide, EcoCute has a market volume of over 1 million units since 2001. It is reported that up to 500,000 EcoCute units are produced annually, representing the largest market for CO2 refrigerants in the world.
RIMI Baltic Hypermarket
In early 2014, RIMI Baltic opened a new hypermarket in Lithuania using a CO2 transcritical refrigeration system. It is one of the largest systems in the Baltics and the CO2 technology uses around 30% less energy than a typical HFC system. RIMI Baltic expects to open at least four new CO2-only stores in the Baltic states by the end of 2014, and approximately five more by the end of 2016.
ROXSTA CO2 Series
Medium temperature (cooling) or normal and low temperature (cooling) with heat recovery system/heat pump/climate control function. Efficiency enhancement are available through parallel compression/EVALIFT/TEKOJET
Panasonic 2HP
Panasonic’s energy-efficient and environmentally conscious refrigerated and freezer display cases for supermarkets and convenience stores are available in Japan, China and other parts of Asia. They have been working with Italian CO2 heat pump and packaged refrigeration manufacturer Enex since 2009 and have launched a new range aimed at convenience stores, bakeries, forecourts and supermarkets.
The 2HP condensing unit uses CO2 and offers increased efficiency with a low refrigerant charge.
Palfridge (The Fridge Factory) Solarchill
Palfridge, with the support of GIZ ProKlima, the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol and UNDP, owns the first factory in Africa to have converted its entire production line to hydrocarbons. The company also developed its own prototype of SolarChill.Palfridge’s MC72 model medical unit has a pending application with the World Health Organization’s performance, quality and safety qualification program. The model is designed for an ambient temperature up to 48°C. Additional model details are as follows: Gross volume: 50 liters, Storage capacity: 20 liters, Approximate cost with solar panels: 1400 EUR. Palfridge also manufactures a domestic unit designed for food storage.
Optimer Low Front Cabinet
Using the environmentally sustainable natural refrigerant propane, this cabinet features energy-saving fans and Carrier’s specially designed LED lights that can reduce energy consumption by up to 61 percent versus its predecessor. The Optimer cabinet won the ProCold award as the most efficient cabinet in the vertical refrigerated display category at EuroShop 2017.
Multi-compressor condensing unit
The multi-compressor CO2 condensing unit uses repurposed CO2 refrigerant, emits no new greenhouse gases and is unaffected by EU F-gas regulations. Equipped with an inverter-drive compressor, the unit is ideal for small businesses with variable capacity applications such as food retail C-stores, petrol stations, restaurants, caterers and large kitchens. The unit has a low noise level and can be connected to multiple evaporators
Naturale Series
Sibata Welding Construction Co. a Japanese manufacturer has developed a transcritical CO2 system for cold storage and logistics facilities. The ‘Naturale series’, is available in low and medium operating temperature ranges: -15°C to -50°C and +10°C to -25°C. The system is also available in either air-cooled or water-cooled configurations and feature heat reclaim as an option. The first system will be supplied at the end of March 2018 to a local contractor for “research and development purposes”. Overseas component suppliers Carel, Bitzer, ESK Schultze, Alfa Laval, and Guntner, among others contributed to the manufacturing of the ‘Naturale series’.
Mirai COLD
Mirai COLD units use air as the refrigerant in a one stage system to reach very low temperatures up to -110C. Mirai Cold units can be used for biomedical storage, food storage, freeze drying food, industrial cooling and cryotherapy.
MF 114
MF 114 is a combined vaccine and icepack freezer. The thermostat ensures stable temperature control in the range from -18°C to -28°C. Temperature can be monitored on the external digital display. Holdover time in case of power cut is improved with the unit’s thick 100mm insulation. The corrosionproof steel cabinet protects against rust, while the evaporator tubing is zinc coated. The compressor is designed for use in the tropics.
Maja
Maja provides ice making units for supermarkets throughout Europe. The company offers product line options for ice machines running completely on natural refrigerants. The technology employs a combination of ammonia and CO2 as the system refrigerants. These units are becoming a preferred choice of supermarket chains for integrating existing or planned centralized CO2 refrigeration systems with an ice making capacity
Kuvatek
Kuvatek produces hydrocarbon-based tap water coolers and beer coolers.
Liebherr
Liebherr was the first manufacturer to have changed to environmentally friendly HFC-free refrigerants for its entire range of household and professional refrigerators and freezers. Based on the Greenfreeze™ hydrocarbon technology, the Liebherr line uses R600a and R290 as the refrigerants of choice for its refrigerators, cold-storage cases and chest freezers, and has achieved award-winning energy efficiency as a result.
GreenFreeze technology was developed by Greenpeace in 1992 and refers to refrigerators and freezers that contain no fluorocarbons. Typically, these systems use cyclopentane for the foam and isobutane (R-600a) as the refrigerant.
In 2017 Liebherr launched a range of supermarket refrigeration display cabinets.
Koxka
Koxka, part of Ingersoll Rand companies, has outlets in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia. In 2009, the company launched a line of CO2-compatible island display cabinets in supermarkets. The company is also developing CO2-based refrigeration systems.
Knudsen Koling
Knudsen Koling is a manufacturer and developer of complete refrigeration solutions for supermarkets. By 2010, the company had installed over 70 transcritical CO2 booster systems in Denmark. In 2015, it was acquired by the EPTA group.
Klimasan
Klimasan, a division of Metalfrio Solutions, is a commercial refrigeration manufacturer and the leading company in the Turkish market for beverage exhibitors. Klimasan product portfolio includes supplying hydrocarbon-based refrigerators, coolers and storage cabinets. The company’s customers include main beverage producers in Europe and the Middle East, such as Coca-Cola and Heineken.
Infrico
Infrico, in 2012, is developing a full product range of R-290 and R-600a freezers for its customers in Europe, Middle East and Asia.
Interlevin Group
The Interlevin Group is the United Kingdom’s largest wholesaler of commercial refrigeration and the largest commercial cabinet wholesaler in Europe. The company has produced hydrocarbon equipment since 1995. Brands offered by the Interlevin Group include: Caravell, Criocabin, Elcold, Framec and Staycold.
Icool range
The Greek manufacturer Frigoglass in 2009 launched its Ecocool range of cold drink dispenser equipment using natural refrigerants R290, R600a, or R744 as well as the use of natural substances in the insulation. The company has a client base of 15 countries around the world, and customers include Coca-Cola bottlers (Coca-Cola Hellenic, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Amatil, Coca-Cola Sabco), international brewers (Heineken, Carlsberg, SAB Miller, ABInbev, Efes) and dairy companies (Nestle, Danone).
Frigoglass has production hubs in Romania, Russia, Turkey, India, China, Indonesia, South Africa, and Nigeria.
Indigo
Manitowoc, Welbilt’s leading brand for commercial ice makers, is pleased to announce the launch of four new R290 Indigo NXT models in Europe (IDP0320A, IIYP0320A, IDP0500A, IYP0500A) further strengthening its offering of environmentally friendly refrigerant options for their commercial ice machine platforms. The natural R290 (propane) refrigerant has a GWP (Global Warming Potential) of nearly zero minimizing environmental impact. Additionally, Manitowoc will launch new R290 versions of their popular Neo and Sotto undercounter ice machines in Europe during 2019.
Husky Group
The Husky Group markets hydrocarbon-based ice cream display cabinets and upright and under the counter bottle coolers. In 2009, the company introduced the highly efficient Intelligenzia freezer cabinet that uses propane and features new electronics with soft start compressor technology. The company also upgraded its top-of-the-range open-fronted multideck chiller cabinets to using propane. This provides smaller retailers and convenience stores the same advantages as large supermarkets to minimize both direct and indirect emissions associated with their refrigeration.
IceStream OPTIMA
UBC Group manufactures hydrocarbon bottle coolers and cooler cabinets. Customers include Heineken and Pepsi, with products being sold in the European and Russian markets. Approximately 30% of UBC’s products now use hydrocarbons. The Icestream OPTIMA is also available with a digital thermostat and LCD panel and is available is a super large format.
IceStream Smart Cool 350
UBC Group manufactures hydrocarbon bottle coolers and cooler cabinets. Customers include Heineken and Pepsi, with products being sold in the European and Russian markets. Approximately 30% of UBC’s products now use hydrocarbons.
Hot and Cold vending machine
The system uses CO2 as a heat pump to produce hot and cold beverages.
Green & Cool
Green & Cool is a manufacturer of environmentally friendly refrigeration systems, as well as air-conditioning, industrial processes and heat pumps. It has over 300 CO2 transcritical units installed or under construction in Europe. The company manufactures “CO2 Mistral CCU”, a single temperature range unit with integrated gas cooler/condenser, which can be configured as chiller, freezer or air conditioner. Mistral CCU is suitable for a variety of settings, including supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants, hospitals, hotels and industrial use. In 2015 it launched a CO2Y range of condensing units, aimed at smaller shops and petrol stations. The units run in the 2-9kW range, a segment which has had limited HFC-free technology options in the past.
Haier Solarchill
Haier’s HBC-60 model vaccine cooler meets the World Health Organization’s qualifications for performance, quality, and safety. The units are qualified for 43°C. Additional details are as follows: Gross volume: 50 liters, Storage capacity: 21litres, Autonomy time: 72 hours, Holdover time: 25 hours, Power requirement: 180 watts, Approximate cost without solar panels: 1,066 EUR.
George Barker & Co.
The George Barker & Co, a brand of the EPTA Group, manufacturers integral and indirect display cases mainly for food and beverages, as well as complete refrigeration installations for supermarkets and hypermarkets. Under the EptaGreen line, the company produces CO2 cascade compressor packs, which are HFC-free alternatives and have better system efficiency. These compressor packs are used as components in commercial refrigeration installations.The company also produces a product called the Sound Green Energy unit, which is a plug-in, built-in refrigerated counter unit that runs on 100% propane as the unit refrigerant. The unit has a highly efficient compressor and, if fitted with an inverter, can save about 25% of energy compared to other counters of the category.
GEA Refrigeration Technologies (formerly Grasso GmbH)
GEA Refrigeration Technologies, formerly Grasso GmbH, manufactures a spiral chiller with finless evaporator for food freezers. Usually, heat transmitters have fins that increase the evaporator’s surface. However, this also facilitates the deposition of microorganisms and makes the facility harder to clean. Thus, there is demand for finless alternatives offering the same level of efficiency in the foods industry. The heart of the prototype is a spiral chiller equipped with a finless evaporator. The evaporator is tested by cooling 8,000 regular ice packs from ambient temperature to -37°C in 30 minutes. The refrigeration energy is furnished by an ammonia/CO2 cascade: ammonia for the high-temperature cycle and CO2 for the low-temperature cycle. The advantage is that only 40kg of ammonia is used, and it remains confined to the central machine room, while the freezer is supplied with CO2.
Frost-Trol
Frost-Trol manufactures a line of CO2 based plug-in refrigeration cabinets under the brand Frost CO2. Products include serve-over, multideck and island cabinets. In 2010, about 40 stores in Denmark were operating with Frost-Trol CO2 equipment. In 2013 the company launched a new display cabinet, Gregal aimed at improving efficiency of transcritical CO2 in warmer climates.
Garmo RDGA-L4
This is a plug in multi-deck
Foster Refrigeration
Foster Refrigeration is a refrigerated cabinet maker that markets equipment primarily for the food industry. The company was the first commercial manufacturer to introduce hydrocarbons (R-290) into food service cabinets and has produced hydrocarbon equipment since 1996. As of April 2012, Foster Refrigeration had 13 different models of refrigerated counters and freezers, under it’s Eco Pro Counters line, which give the option of using hydrocarbons as the refrigerant at no additional cost. The Eco Pro Counters line also boasts a 30% reduction in energy usage from previous models. The company operates worldwide with offices in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Spain.
Framec
Framec is an Italian manufacturer of high quality commercial refrigeration and freezer units. Under its Green Emotions product range, the company produces refrigerators and freezers in various sizes with high performance compressors using hydrocarbons (R600a and R290). The estimated energy savings in comparison to similar HFC models are approximately 27-53%, depending on the unit size, resulting in an estimated 370-470 kG of CO2 emission reduction, per unit per year.
Flex range
The Greek manufacturer Frigoglass in 2009 launched its Ecocool range of cold drink dispenser equipment using natural refrigerants R290, R600a, or R744 as well as the use of natural substances in the insulation. The company has a client base of 15 countries around the world, and customers include Coca-Cola bottlers (Coca-Cola Hellenic, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Amatil, Coca-Cola Sabco), international brewers (Heineken, Carlsberg, SAB Miller, ABInbev, Efes) and dairy companies (Nestle, Danone).
Frigoglass has production hubs in Romania, Russia, Turkey, India, China, Indonesia, South Africa, and Nigeria.
FKG 311
FKG 311 is not only suitable for bottles, as items of food also can be hygienically and conveniently stored in this cooler with adjustable shelves. With features such as automatic defrosting and adjustable wire shelves, the cooler is a functional unit ideal for sandwich bars, kiosks and service stations.
EsyCool green
Viessmann has produced a propane-based energy system the ESyCool green to heat and cool retailer’s stores.
The ESyCool green is a highly efficient energy system that controls and optimises the flows of energy in a supermarket. ESyCool green operates based on heat pumps in combination with optimised refrigerated cabinets and cold rooms, as well as an integrated ice energy storage unit and photovoltaic system.
For a supermarket operator, this means energy savings of around 15% and a significant reduction of lifecycle costs in comparison with conventional refrigeration systems.
Enex
Enex produces commercial refrigeration systems for supermarkets, hypermarkets, cold stores and freezing tunnels using CO2 as the system refrigerant. The company specializes in transcritical booster systems as well as cascade systems. Its refrigeration systems can also be implemented to use system waste heat for heating purposes in stores. In 2017, it launched an integrated heating and cooling system designed to suit any store size. As the heating comes from heat recovery the energy use associated with heating is zero.
Elcold
Elcold is a manufacturer of chest freezers and coolers for both commercial and domestic applications. In the XLE-range, they have increased the insulation to 100 mm. This, in combination with an environmentally friendly refrigerant and optimized compressor, saves on energy and direct global warming impacts.
Derby
Derby, a division of Metalfrio Solutions, is a commercial refrigeration manufacturer that supplies hydrocarbon refrigerators, coolers and storage cabinets. The company also produces CO2 commercial coolers for Coca-Cola.
CSC Group
CSC Group developed and manufactures a patented CO2 based “ECO2-System” for supermarkets. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the system reduces energy costs by recapturing heat from the cooling system, and using it for heating the store. The company estimates that if all 6,500 grocery retailers in Canada would use its ECO2-System, the GHG emission reduction would be equivalent to taking 2 million cars off the road. The cost of maintaining the ECO2-System is reported to be significantly less than competitive systems using HFCs. In 2011, CSC installed the world’s first 100% CO2 ice rink in the Marcel Dutil Arena of the town of Les Coteaux, Quebec. The company’s Eco-2-System uses only CO2, replacing both the use of HCFC-22 and ammonia, in a transcritical refrigeration cycle. The system uses a Danfoss ICMTS valve to regulate the flow of CO2.
Criocabin
Criocabin is an Italian manufacturer of cold-rooms. Since January 2012, the entire product range of Criocabin has been converted HFC-free polyurethane, using water-expanding components instead of HFC gases.Criocabin uses CO2 cascade systems for most of its new cold-room installations. In the near future, the company also plans to use water-expanding agents in their cold-room refrigeration circuits. This is a technology that Criocabin has been using in cabinet production since 2009
CO2YSystem
The Green & Cool CO2Y system is quiet and environmentally sustainable with a CO2 transcritical condensing unit within a compact design. The units are specially designed for outdoor installation, on a roof for example, with simple installation that requires less piping.
CO2OLtec
After an intensive field trial phase, this technology was launched in 2009 as the CO2OLtec® refrigeration system. Today, CO2OLtec solutions are used to keep food fresh in thousands of European supermarkets and hypermarkets while reducing their carbon footprints by approximately 50 percent compared to systems using the synthetic refrigerant R404A. CO2OLtec Integral solutions enable a store to save up to 35 percent in energy costs by leveraging the waste heat from its refrigeration system to heat the building and its sanitary water. Carrier’s advanced CO2OLtec Evo transcritical CO2 systems feature newly developed adjustable modulating ejector technology. This new technology increases system energy efficiency, making CO2 systems a viable alternative in warmer climates as well as providing heat reclaim advantages in colder and milder climates.
Carter Retail
Carter Retail Equipment developed a range of display cabinets (chilled, frozen and servery) with hydrocarbon refrigerant water cooled condensers, an important component of a newly developed integralized refrigeration system using hydrocarbons as the overall system refrigerant.
Caravell
Caravell, a division of Metalfrio Solution, has been producing a 400-liter capacity refrigerator with CO2 as the system refrigerant since 2009. This unit also has a 45% lower pull down time (the time necessary to refrigerate a complete load of beverages). Caravell also markets a 74-liter open-top bottle cooler using hydrocarbons.
BoReas
The BoReas is an ammonia/CO2 system delivering CO2 at 22°F for medium-temperature loads in supermarkets, cold-storage facilities and other applications. The BoReas chiller is located outdoors to keep ammonia out of the occupied space. And while liquid CO2 is pumped into refrigerated areas, CO2 compressors are not used in the system.
Blupura
The Italian company Blupura is the first company in the world to produce HFC-free watercoolers. Blupura products include the R290 FONTEMAGNA water cooler, a well insulated ice-bank for high volume supply of cold, still, and sparkling water, with a capacity of 280 liters per hour. In 2010, the company also launched a new range of hydrocarbon counter top water coolers for restaurant, office and hotel use, including the CITY and WAVE machines which use R290 and R600a to cool water before dispensing. Blupura report that their products have a coefficient of performance of 5% over R134a, and that typical energy savings at 16% over conventional, synthetic based systems.
Binzhou Sky Rainbow
In 2012, Binzhou, a manufacturer of bottle coolers and small freezers, announced it was in the process of developing hydrocarbon products for launch in 2013 for the European market.
Rhino Bar Fridges
The company markets a range of “Rhino” brand bar refrigerators using hydrocarbons. According to conversations between Bar Fridges and Greenpeace, units include small mini compact bar fridges, glass door wine fridges, alfresco fridges, beer fridges and upright commercial display fridges.
AHT Austria
AHT company of Austria is a major manufacturer of plug-in-type supermarket cabinets. Its equipment runs on R-290. Types of equipment sold include: Plug in multi-decks with integrated cooling with optional plug in or water piped based heat removal; and plug in deep freezers. It has sold 700,000 propane cabinets in Europe, mostly in Germany, and around one million worldwide.
AHT UK
In 2009, AHT launched its propane Multidecks, open-front display coolers for snack foods, soft drinks, and dairy products. AHT Cooling Systems is one of the largest UK wholesalers of commercial refrigeration products.
