Retail Robotics, a Polish manufacturer of e-grocery “click-and-collect” lockers, will be installing 12 units by the end of 2021 for DELiPOP, a new online grocery service in Paris, France.
The “Arctan” lockers will use a transcritical CO2 refrigeration system, designed by Polish engineering firm SZE.ECO, for medium-temperature (0-2°C/32-35.6°F) storage, at a capacity of 8kW (2.3TR) at -8°C (17.6°F), according to Maurycy Szwajkajzer, CEO of SZE.ECO. For low-temperatures, a standard commercial vertical cabinets (using f-gases) will be employed.
The Arctan machine includes two separate refrigeration circuits that offer “redundance and guarantees temperatures in case of breakdown of one of the circuits,” said Szwajkajzer
DELiPOP’s grocery click-and-collect lockers will be supplied by food from Paris retailers, according to its website.
Arctan units with the same specifications have already been installed at two other commercial sites in France and at two “non-commercial” locations in Poland, said Szwajkajzer, who added that his company hopes to see “a dozen” Arctan lockers with SZE.ECO transcritical CO2 systems installed this year.
According to Retail Robotics, the Arctan lockers reduce grocery delivery costs by 70%; are three times as effective as human-operated pick-up, reducing space and labor costs; serve two-three customers at a time; offers simultaneous consumer pick-up and courier drop-off; and supports same-day delivery services.
In March, another company supplying e-grocery click-and-collect kiosks, Estonia-based Cleveron, announced that it is going natural in its refrigeration by using Carrier Transicold NaturaLINE CO2 containers for its automated outdoor Cleveron 501 grocery kiosks.
In addition, Italian OEM Epta is supplying EPTABricks, a click-and-collect locker that uses propane (R290) refrigerant.
