Hannaford plans first transcritical CO2 system for existing store
This December, Hannaford Supermarkets, a division of Ahold Delhaize, will begin installing a transcritical CO2 refrigeration system in an existing store in Raymond, New Hampshire, its first such retrofit project and one of only a few in the United States.
“We will begin construction in November, and install the system in December and January,” said Harrison Horning, director of energy and facility services for Hannaford, based in Scarborough, Maine.
Hannaford became the first U.S. food retailer to install a transcritical CO2 system (from Carnot Refrigeration) in a new store in Turner, Maine, in July 2013. In August 2015, the chain placed a transcritical system (from Hillphoenix) in a new store in North Berwick, Maine.
Hussmann and Systemes LMP are providing the system for the Raymond, New Hampshire store, which will remain open throughout the installation. The existing display cases and central refrigeration system are at the end of their useful life, said Horning. “There is adequate space to install a new system while the existing system continues to run.”
The biggest challenge in deploying the transcritical system in the existing store, said Horning, was planning for how the initial load would be placed on the system. “It won’t be stable unless it has enough low-temperature and medium-temperature loads.”
He suggested that the easiest way to do this could be to start with walk-in freezer and cooler loads. “It’s in the planning,” he said. “That’s where we want the expertise of the installer and suppliers.”