TABLE OF CONTENTS

and hydrocarbon refrigerants is still in its infancy with
selected food retail chains having equipped first delivery
trucks with natural refrigerant systems. Most recently, research
has focused on regenerative trailer cooling with
natural refrigerants as a means to save up to 20% energy.
Supermarkets: Central refrigeration
CO 2
: Carbon dioxide is used for central refrigeration
equipment in supermarkets. 25 Canadian and over 1,300
supermarket stores across Europe have already opted for
CO 2
transcritical plants, making it one of the most promising
applications for R744. In a recent development, the
announcement by a US-American system supplier that
it will roll out pilot installations across North America
in 2012 has brought additional impetus to the market.
Progress in also being made in China where Tesco has
opened its first store using CO 2
as the refrigerant. CO 2
is
furthermore used in a variety of cascade and secondary
system solutions, together with ammonia and hydrocarbons,
or synthetic refrigerants. Cascade solutions have
become a well-established market especially in Europe.
CO 2
flake ice machines for fish filling counters in supermarkets
and fishmongers are also commercially available.
HC / NH 3
: Unlike many European retailers UK chain Waitrose
is investing in propane refrigeration technology,
whilst Marks and Spencer has installed several CO 2
/propane
hybrid systems. At the end of 2011, Tesco opened
its first zero carbon store in Thailand, featuring hydrocarbon
powered fridges. For condensing units in mediumsized
convenience stores, both CO 2
and HCs can be a preferred
option also for developing countries.
CO 2
/ NH 3
: Ammonia is mostly used in NH 3
/CO 2
cascade
solutions, which are estimated to have an up to 5% market
share in developed countries. In South Africa a Pick
and Pay supermarket has replaced the conventional centralised
refrigeration system with a R744/R717 cascade
system, a system more suitable for a hot climate than
R744 alone, which has lower thermal efficiencies at high
ambient temperatures.
Light-Commercial Systems: Display cabinets,
ice cream freezers and vending machines
HC / CO 2
: In a supermarket environment, a variety of hydrocarbon
cabinets, including island and multideck displays,
chest and upright freezers, ice cream freezers and
bottle coolers are commercially available. For example,
Danone and Nestlé have several thousand coolers using
hydrocarbon technology across a number of countries
including Denmark, Mexico and Germany, whilst
by 2010 PepsiCo had deployed 61,419 hydrocarbon and
277 CO 2
units globally. As other examples of industry
commitment driving the market, by the end of 2011,
the Coca-Cola Company had exceeded 420,000 HFC-free
vending machines, coolers and drinks dispensers using
both CO 2
and hydrocarbons, whilst Unilever had rolledout
800,000 hydrocarbon ice cream freezer cabinets.
Beer manufacturer Carlsberg has over 3,500 hydrocarbon
coolers. In addition, an Italian frozen desert equipment
manufacturer has produced a prototype ice cream
machine using CO 2
technology, whilst an Italian and British
display cabinet manufacturer have developed CO 2
cabinets and wine walls.
Fast food restaurant: Drinks dispenser,
ice cube machines and meat freezers
HC / CO 2
: The use of natural refrigerants in point-of-sale
appliances has also been driven by McDonald’s, which
opened three HFC-free restaurants using hydrocarbons
and CO 2
technology, in addition to a Japanese and
French restaurant which have each installed a CO 2
heat
pump. The franchising group has developed natural refrigerant
alternatives for eight pieces of refrigeration
equipment, including: juice dispenser, ice cube machine,
salad cooler, and the meat/wall freezer. While the smaller
refrigeration applications have been covered by hydrocarbon
refrigerants, CO 2
was used in space heating and
cooling, as well as in the refrigeration rooms.
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