Bitzer marks 100,000th CO2 compressor

GERMANY: Bitzer has supplied its landmark 100,000th CO2 refrigeration compressor produced at its Schkeuditz factory to long-term supermarket customer Aldi Süd.

The German supermarket chain has pioneered the use of CO2 since 2006. Since then 1,350 of its stores – 70% of its estate – have been equipped with reciprocating compressors for transcritical CO2 applications.

Erik Bucher, director of refrigeration sales at Bitzer in Sindelfingen, was recently able to present the 100,000th CO2 compressor produced by Bitzer in Schkeuditz near Leipzig to Aldi Süd. “We’ve maintained a long-standing partnership based on trust with Aldi Süd,” said Bucher. “I can confidently call our customer a pioneer, as they are also partly responsible for the fact that installations with CO2 as a refrigerant are now one of the most common standards in the EU.”

Jens Strassburg, director store operations management at Aldi Süd, said: “We’re always on the lookout for solutions that will allow us to operate our display cabinets and refrigeration systems more efficiently, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using the right refrigerant, and minimise our impact on the environment.

“We’ve dedicated ourselves to operating with a focus on the future, even if that means we have to invest more for a certain period of time. However, energy savings ultimately serve as proof of a short amortisation period and high investment security.”