Building on a 2010 commitment to use only CO2 in its stores, leading German retailer Aldi Süd is making strong progress in implementing natural refrigerant solutions. Having reached the landmark of 1,000 installations last week, it estimates that 54% of its stores are already using CO2 systems.
Commenting exclusively for R744.com, Agnes Macherey, head of refrigeration at Aldi Süd Germany, said: “We’re delighted and proud to be able to set standards on such an important issue as sustainability in the commercial cold market in Germany.”
The German retail giant is on track to convert all its stores to natural refrigerants, in a move that is having a significant impact on the market. “With the use of CO2 technology, we are taking an absolute pioneering role in the German food retail sector in the area of commercial refrigeration,” a company press release hailing the 1,000 installation quotes Macherey as saying.
Since the beginning of 2016, Aldi Süd has invested exclusively in CO2 systems for its stores. Moreover, the company is complementing this effort with investment in hydrocarbons-based cabinets. Since 2016, all stand-alone units at Aldi Süd are operated 100% with propane.
Aldi Süd’s strategy is already paying off, given the significant energy savings from their CO2 systems equipped with variable speed compressors, electronic expansion valves and intelligent control systems.
