Arneg transcritical CO2 condensing units cut emissions at South Korean store by 67%
Arneg Korea, part of OEM Arneg Group, has helped reduce the GHG emissions of a CU convenience store in Seoul, South Korea, by 67% with the installation of transcritical CO2 (R744) condensing units.
The condensing units, installed in 2021, reduced the energy consumption of the 90m2 (970ft2) store’s low temperature (LT) appliances by 25.4% and medium temperature (MT) appliances by 16.2%, compared to R404A alternatives. This reduction in energy use, in addition to the use of R744 instead of a synthetic refrigerant, resulted in the two-thirds reduction in GHG emissions.
According to Gabriele Sernani, Manager of Oversea Sales at Arneg Korea, as of December 2021, Arneg had installed around 1,700 CO2-based refrigeration systems globally. Ten of these systems are located in Korea.
Following the South Korean government’s 2020 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which detailed its plans to reduce its GHG emissions by 24% by 2030 (since updated to 40%), Arneg Korea was approached by CU, Korea’s leading convenience store brand, to help the chain develop an “eco-friendly store.”
“[The client] asked for energy-saving fridges, eco-friendly gas and the reduction of CO2 emissions,” explained Sernani.
To meet the client’s needs, Arneg installed 2HP–4HP transcritical CO2 condensing units for both LT and MT; a high-efficiency DC compressor and DC fan to improve the efficiency of the condensing units and refrigerated cabinets; and a free-flow price-holder air-curtain system to help maintain the temperature inside the cabinets, which were mostly open multi-deck units.
In addition to using an eco-friendly refrigerant, reducing energy consumption and cutting GHG emissions, the condensing units provided additional benefits to CU, including easy installation, flexible configuration and low noise.