U.S. Supermarkets start moving towards CO₂ refrigeration

R744 Technology is starting to enter the North American stationary market, as two leading retail chains have unveiled carbon dioxide cascade systems for low-temperature refrigeration in the U.S.

Being already largely used in Europe, CO₂ refrigeration might see new important development in North America. The medium-size retail chain Price Chopper Supermarkets has installed a CO₂ cascade system for low-temperature refrigeration in its frozen food and ice cream department in the state of New York. The system, using smaller line sizes, significantly reduces the use of copper. According to Hill Phoenix, leading U.S. manufacturer of refrigeration systems designing the unit, the use of CO₂ as a secondary fluid allows on average a 39% reduction in the weight of installed copper pipe versus a comparable direct expansion installation. Moreover, the installation is economically beneficial for the retailer as CO₂ is far less expensive than the HFC refrigerant (50 cents compared with $7-8 per pound). Price Chopper Supermarkets is now positive to significantly reduce its carbon footprint by using a refrigerant with a 3,300 times lower Global Warming Potential than current hydrofluorocarbons.

On the other hand, already in April the leading supermarket retail chain Food Lion unveiled the nation’s first grocery store to incorporate two sustainable refrigeration systems simultaneously. The low-temperature system uses CO₂ as a secondary coolant, while the medium-temperature range is covered by a water-glycol unit. The CO₂ installation, unveiled in presence of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) officials and industry experts, is the second R744 system used in a Food Lion store. The first CO₂ cascade system has been operating successfully in a store in the U.S. city of Montpellier since 2006. Both installations, using standard commercially available components and materials, were manufactured by Hill Phoenix.

“This is a significant step forward in our decade-old journey of environmentally friendly operations. We’re proud to be a leader in testing and incorporating advanced refrigeration technologies (…),” said Kyle Mitchell, Food Lion LLC Vice President of Store Development.

Background

Price Chopper is a medium size chain of supermarkets in New England, New York, and Pennsylvania, with headquarters in upstate New York. Food Lion is a subsidiary of Brussels-based Delhaize Group, operating more than 1,300 supermarkets in 11 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

In 2007, the U.S. EPA initiated the GreenChill programme to reduce ozone-depleting and high global warming refrigerants through the use of advanced refrigeration technology. Both Food Lion and Hill Phoenix have joined as members to promote sustainable commercial refrigeration systems.