Three year programme will see supermarket convert to R448A, branded Solstice N40
Honeywell has announced that Tesco is converting more than 1,200 UK stores away from R404A to its Solstice N40 refrigerant over the next three years. The HFO, designated R448A, which has a GWP of 1273, will reduce the retailer’s carbon footprint by up to 40 per cent, the manufacturer said.
The first 60 stores have already converted to R448A, which is a near drop-in replacement for R404A, the manufacturer added
Tesco has committed to reducing carbon emissions by 26.5 per cent compared with a 2006/2007 baseline.
Matthew Reeves-Smith, group head of refrigeration & HVAC, Tesco said: “We set aggressive sustainability goals and were committed to achieving them without impacting our customers. We sought the best technology to convert 1,200 stores in three years and found our solution in Solstice N40. This refrigerant meets all our key criteria including energy efficiency, system performance and maintenance. The fact that it is a near drop-in replacement for our current refrigerant helps ensure a smooth, ongoing conversion process over the next three years.”
Honeywell boasts that Solstice N40 is ’the supermarket industry’s most commonly used, lowest-GWP, nonflammable refrigerant to replace R404A’ and had been installed in more than 2,000 supermarket installations by the end of 2016.
Robert Kebby, refrigeration global business manager for Honeywell Fluorine Products added: “More and more supermarket companies are using Solstice N40 in large-scale store conversions, as it is the ideal solution to help meet their energy efficiency and sustainability goals. Honeywell encourages customers to accelerate the conversion to immediately available, environmentally preferable refrigerants and avoid expected legacy product scarcity.”
The success of the Tesco conversion project requires a close collaboration between Honeywell and its partners, the manufacturer added: A-Gas, which provides a reclaim and testing facility for R404A, alongside its distribution of the new gas; Climate Center, which provides national delivery and collection of new and reclaimed refrigerants; while contractors Carter Synergy and Space Engineering are providing the expertise for the actual conversions.
Honeywell announced it will cease to sell R404A into the EU from next year.
