ALDI SÜD trusts in sustainability

Image: ALDI SÜD

74 per cent of all stores have already been switched over, with the rest to follow: food retailer ALDI SÜD has long believed in environmental protection and sustainability, which is why the company is installing refrigeration systems featuring BITZER reciprocating compressors for transcritical CO2 applications in its stores

There’s a good reason why CO2 is the refrigerant of choice for supermarket applications: it’s future-proof whilst offering high energy efficiency and low global warming potential. ALDI SÜD came to this conclusion back in 2006 and thus began consistently switching its refrigeration systems at its stores to the environmentally friendly refrigerant. 1,400 stores have since been equipped with reciprocating compressors for transcritical CO2 applications. Erik Bucher, Director of Refrigeration Sales at BITZER in Sindelfingen, was recently able to present the 100,000th CO2 compressor produced by BITZER in Schkeuditz near Leipzig to ALDI SÜD. ‘We’ve maintained a long-standing partnership based on trust with ALDI SÜD,’ says Bucher. ‘I can confidently call our customer a pioneer, as they are also partly responsible for the fact that installations with CO2 as a refrigerant are now one of the most common standards in the EU.’

100,000th

BITZER reciprocating compressor for CO2 applications for ALDI SÜD

Jens Straßburg, Director Store Operations Management Refrigeration at ALDI SÜD, says: ‘We’re always on the lookout for solutions that will allow us to operate our display cabinets and refrigeration systems more efficiently, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using the right refrigerant, and minimise our impact on the environment.’ ALDI SÜD’s activities are shaped by long-term, sustainable thinking. ‘We’ve dedicated ourselves to operating with a focus on the future,’ Straßburg adds. ‘Even if that means we have to invest more for a certain period of time. However, energy savings ultimately serve as proof of a short amortisation period and high investment security.’

Erik Bucher, Director Sales Refrigeration at BITZER (left), presenting the model of a reciprocating compressor and a certificate to Jens Straßburg, Director Store Operations Management Refrigeration at ALDI SÜD
Erik Bucher, Director Sales Refrigeration at BITZER (left), presenting the model of a reciprocating compressor and a certificate to Jens Straßburg, Director Store Operations Management Refrigeration at ALDI SÜD Image: Blendfabrik/Jens Howorka

The high energy efficiency of BITZER reciprocating compressors for transcritical CO2 applications makes it possible. Designed for operation with frequency inverter, they offer flexible, efficient and stepless capacity control. This is particularly important when it comes to the capacity characteristic of CO2 systems: stepless capacity control can minimise suction pressure fluctuations and cycling rates, which in turn reduces energy costs and increases the life cycle. It can also boost the quality of the products requiring cooling and the cooling process.

‘We highly value BITZER as a partner – particularly in this day and age, when there are so many changes and so much is going on in refrigeration.’

 

Jens Straßburg
Director Store Operations Management Refrigeration at ALDI SÜD

‘We’re looking forward to continuing to work closely with ALDI SÜD in the years to come,’ says Erik Bucher. And Jens Straßburg adds: ‘We highly value BITZER as a partner – particularly in this day and age, when there are so many changes and so much is going on in refrigeration. We need a partner we can rely on with decades of experience, to ensure our operations are more sustainable in the future.’

ALDI SÜD receives the Deutscher Kältepreis 2018

From the hands of Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze ALDI SÜD received the Deutscher Kältepreis 2018. The company earned the second place in the category “Intelligent Monitoring of Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Systems” and was awarded the prize for its efforts to identify and minimize conspicuous energy consumption and refrigerant emissions with the help of monitoring.