Makro, a division of Dutch conglomerate SHV Holdings, has installed a transcritical CO2 system from German OEM TEKO at its new Valle del Lili supermarket in Cali, Colombia – TEKO’s fifth transcritical CO2 installation in Latin America, two of which have been for Makro.
The use of CO2 as a refrigerant in Latin America has been increasing in the past few years as retailers like SAIEP in Argentina, Cencosud in Chile, and Carrefour in Brazil have opted to use this natural refrigerant. Following the trend, Makro has increasingly been looking at reducing its GHG emissions and investing in transcritical CO2 for its stores.
The supermarket in the south of Cali marks an important milestone for Makro as it features a new store concept.
With more than 3,400m2 (36,597ft2) of sales space, the store has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification thanks to the measures put it place to reduce water and energy.
The installation, carried out in the first quarter of 2019, features TEKO’s ROXSTA2.0 transcritical CO2 refrigeration system, complete with parallel compression. The cooling capacity is 130kW (37TR) on the medium-temperature side and 4kW (1.1TR) for low temperature.
As a special safety feature, the rack has been equipped with a controlled suction-gas super heater, which reduces the “oil throw” in the compressors and ensures the stable operation of the system, even if the cooling cabinets work under discontinued super heating.
In addition, the installation includes a gas cooler (cooling capacity: 254kW/72.2TR), electronic expansion valves, and self-service doors – all to maximize energy efficiency and to reduce the store’s carbon footprint.
The installation was handled by a local company, Weston, with 57 years in refrigeration. Weston also supplied the evaporators, cold rooms and display cabinets.
There are plans for more such installations as TEKO partners with Makro Colombia, such as a CO2 system for a new store in the city of Valledupar.
Makro’s presence in South America includes: Brazil (68 stores), Argentina (23 stores), Perú (14 stores), Venezuela (37 stores) and Colombia (20 stores).
