SPAR The third panelist was Wayne Derdekind, Group Development Manager of SPAR, which only recently started using transcritical CO2 in retail stores in South Africa. SPAR, based in the Netherlands, operates more than 13,000 mostly franchised stores in 48 countries. In South Africa, there are more than 800 stores, with a relatively small footprint (1,164m2/12,529ft2). Although transcritical CO2 is nothing new for SPAR’s European retail stores, South Africa has been slow to catch up, so far with only three transcritical installations, said Derdekind. This is because in South Africa, SPAR is a voluntary trading organization (similar to a franchise), he explained. Retailers pay a fee to belong to the brand, but SPAR doesn’t dictate things such as what refrigeration system should be put in. Its retailers have a lot of freedom regarding what they use – and usually cost is a primary consideration. Derdekind echoed the other retailers in saying that, traditionally, transcritical CO2 didn’t have potential for a great return on investment for retailers. This was predominantly because of South Africa’s warm climate. As such, the only angle is the environmental benefit. “Our challenge comes with convincing these retailers to invest in something for a ‘noble cause,’” said Derdekind.
That has been SPAR’s biggest difficulty – until now. Fortunately, as technology and the industry evolved, the costs came down and efficiencies went up. Available expertise was a problem, as were availability and cost of components. But as South African retailers’ demand for transcritical CO2 grows, so does the local industry and expertise. “Transcritical CO2 systems are getting more efficient and we’re now seeing them match or even exceed efficiencies on R404A plants,” he added. “It is becoming a great motivator for our retailers.” It’s not a no-brainer yet, because the savings don’t yet justify the premium. “It still involves a bit of sacrifice, but retailers are starting to see the long-term benefits,” said Derdekind. Trading on the successes of the other retailers, SPAR has since completed three transcritical CO2 stores. The hope is to be able to show a significant improvement in energy savings, which will incentivize other stores to follow suit. “We hope there will be a knockon effect,” Derdekind said, mentioning that there are already another eight transcritical CO2 stores in the pipeline for 2020.
Convenience store (small) applications
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