Icelandic supermarket chain Krónan has fitted out its new store in Akranes, southwestern Iceland, with Green Wave CO2 refrigeration cabinets from Lithuanian manufacturer Freor.

These display units, connected to a centralized CO2 (R744) system, will help reduce the supermarket’s energy consumption by up to 10%, according to a statement from Freor. This is due to the refrigerant’s effectiveness in cooler climates with average annual temperatures of 15°C (59°F) or below – like Iceland’s. In such climates, the payback period for the equipment is three to five years, Freor said.

The name of the manufacturer proving the centralized CO2 system has not been disclosed.

In addition to energy efficiency, Krónan also chose Freor’s Green Wave CO2 products due to R744’s lower climate impact – with a GWP of one – and its regulatory compliance.

“Thinking green is the philosophy of Freor [and] we are exerting efforts to manufacture products with the minimum effect on nature,” said Freor. “[We have] designed the Green Wave product line, aimed at energy-saving and use of environmentally-friendly refrigerants such as CO2.”

“[We have] designed the Green Wave product line, aimed at energy-saving and use of environmentally-friendly refrigerants such as CO2.”

Freor

Freor develops and manufactures sustainable solutions for commercial refrigeration that help retailers reduce their environmental impact and energy consumption. In addition to its CO2-based products, Freor is also a major supplier of self-contained display refrigerators and freezers using propane (R290).

Krónan’s New Green Wave CO2 Installation

Krónan chose to kit out its Akranes store entirely with Freor’s Green Wave CO2 refrigeration equipment to ensure easy communication, installation and future maintenance.

For fresh produce, the supermarket opted for Freor’s large-capacity JUPITER multidecks, which utilize the manufacturer’s “dual air curtain” technology to reduce energy consumption. For better energy efficiency, some of the multideck chillers were installed with glass doors, while open multideck versions were chosen to display produce with a higher turnover.

For the store’s meat department, Freor’s VEGA SPACE QB LG self-service counter and PLUTON SPACE semi-vertical refrigerators were chosen. 

Krónan chose Freor’s HELLA and LUNA freezer islands and ERIDA upright freezers for its frozen food department. According to the manufacturer, these units ensure the preservation of frozen foods at different temperature ranges while protecting against glass fogging.

Installation of the units was carried out by Freor’s Iceland-based partner Frost.


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