Woolworths Eyes Hydrocarbons as Complement to CO2 System Rollout
While Australian supermarket chain Woolworths has focused its rollout of natural refrigerants on CO2 (R744) systems, the company also has its eye on hydrocarbons.
The company is “preparing the terrain for the uptake of flammable refrigeration systems, specifically hydrocarbons,” said Dario Ferlin, National Sustainable Engineering Manager at Woolworths
This move is in response to the growth of hydrocarbon solutions within the HVAC&R sector, such as propane (R290)-based heat pumps, chillers and split air-conditioning systems, as well as self-contained R290 retail display cases.
Ferlin explained the steps that Woolworths is taking to develop HFC-free waterloop self-contained cases for niche applications.
“We’ve been building around one waterloop store per year since 2015 and with each iteration we’ve been improving our design,” he said. “Until now our waterloop systems have been with HFC refrigerants and chilled water [for heat] ejection. As we’ve been building our waterloop stores, we’ve been looking at our [natural refrigerant] options and it really comes down to either propane or CO2.”
With a goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 63% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, part of Woolworths’ efforts is to transition to natural refrigerants, explained Ferlin.