The German discount supermarket Netto Marken-Discount has been working on reducing the ecological footprint of its entire supply chain. The pioneering company has been testing a truck with a particularly innovative CO2 cooling technology for about a year. This truck is now part of the Netto Marken fleet and is used for the day-to-day operations in the Munich region. The truck supplies around 200 stores and not only has a positive influence on the environment, but also provides valuable insights for further development of this technology.
In October 2016, Netto was the first company in Germany to use the CO2-cooling unit of Transicold in its trucks. The test unit has a special feature, as it premiers the use of only CO2 gas as a refrigerant in a closed circuit. This feature does not have negative environmental effects.
Photo: Netto
“Right from the start, we were interested in the potential of this pilot project, to achieve our environmental and sustainability goals. And after about a year, we can say that the test results in the Munich area are very promising,” states Stefanie Adler, Corporate Communications of Netto Marken-Discount.
David Appel, President of Carrier Transicold & Refrigeration Systems, is also convinced of their cooperation. He states: “The first trucks with CO2 cooling units represent a significant milestone in the development of CO2 refrigeration systems in vehicles.” And he continues: “In future, we intend to operate all vehicle refrigeration systems with natural refrigerants. We have come a great deal closer to this goal with the support of a major German discount supermarket."
For years, Netto has been successfully improving its energy footprint by consistently using environmentally friendly technologies. These technologies are used in new stores, for example, in efficient heating systems with heat recovery ventilation, adjusted air supply systems, thermal insulation and energy-saving LED lights.