PROJECT
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
From HFC to natural ahead of
Kigali phase-down
By John Ackermann
The Woolworths store at the V&A Waterfront, the jewel in the crown of South Africa’s tourist attrac-
tions, has been converted from HFC 404A to natural CO 2 refrigerant.
T
he V&A Waterfront is visited by refrigeration plant room, back up cold The refrigeration plant has two similar in 2008 with cascade subcritical systems.
thousands of tourists, local and stores, freezers and display cabinets, were trans-critical parallel booster racks Although not the first in Woolworths,
overseas, each year and delegates installed and only once operational, was designed, manufactured and installed Mainstream Refrigeration installed a
of the Kigali Amendment Workshop held the food market on the ground floor, by Mainstream Refrigeration. The swing in Cape Town, were taken on a guided with a R404A charged refrigeration plant, tour of the new Woolworths CO 2 decommissioned. The changeover was to CO 2 from HFCs started at a slow pace sub-critical CO 2 /R134a plant at the new
refrigerant plant on 5 December 2019.
The V&A Woolworths store on two
floors in the Victoria and Alfred Shopping
mall was opened in 2008. To enhance
done without any interruption to the
trading of perishables and welcomed
with awe by shoppers when completed.
the convenience of the growing number JOURNEY TO GREEN COOLING
of shoppers, the trading area was The conversion to CO 2 refrigeration plant
extended across three floors in 2019. The is in line with the policy of Woolworths to
food market on the ground floor was have all new supermarket refrigeration
moved to the basement into a space systems charged with CO 2 and have the
gained from the parking area. A new
Woolworths store in Palmyra Junction in
lowest energy usage.
Alex Kuzma (right), head of engineering services, Woolworths Real Estate Department guided
KA delegates during the site visit.
Jared Nel, IT Specialist of Mainstream Refrigeration explains the PMS to delegates of the Kigali
Amendment (KA) Workshop.
Natasha Kochova from UNIDO alongside back up cylinders of CO 2 . With the very low
incidence of leaks, not much back up supply of CO 2 is kept on site.
20
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
All display cabinets have high pressure copper/aluminium coils.
COLD LINK AFRICA •
March/April 2020