Carrier goes south with CO2 refrigeration

SPAIN: Carrier Commercial Refrigeration Ibérica has installed a transcritical CO2 refrigeration system in a Carrefour hypermarket in the high ambient environment of Valencia.

The application of Carrier’s CO2OLtec refrigeration system in the Carrefour hypermarket  in Alzira represents its southern-most installation.

With temperatures in Alzira averaging 30ºC in summer, Carrier sees this installation as a significant step towards expanding the use of CO2 refrigeration systems in areas with higher ambient temperatures.

Such consistently high temperatures are known to have a detrimental effect on the efficiency of transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems. Carrier says it overcomes this with an innovative solution utilising mechanical hydrocarbon sub-coolers and economisers incorporated in the transcritical CO2 booster system.

“We’re looking to install more CO2 refrigerant solutions as part of our strategy to gradually substitute hydroflurocarbon-based refrigerants in our facilities since 2013,” said José Francisco Mollá, technical director, Carrefour España.

“We’ve already installed four full CO2 systems in stores across Spain, and have been happy with the outcomes in terms of energy efficiency. We’re particularly interested in how this installation will compare, given the difference in ambient climate to our other installations to date, which are located in northern Spain.”