Sanden sees opportunities for CO2 in small European stores

Sanden has experienced great success with its CO2-based heat pumps, vending machines and refrigeration solutions for small convenience stores (CVS) in its home market of Japan. Now the company is targeting the CVS market in Europe. Since beginning of 2016, Sanden has fitted more than 20 stores in Europe, mostly in France, with their small CO2remote condensing units. Many of these are for Biocoop, a French organic food retailer. The units are listed in their 2016 catalogue of EU F-Gas Directive-compliant solutions. They also supply to the three biggest installers that together cover 75% of the French refrigeration market, while promoting directly to the end user as well. Sanden’s plug n’ play CO2 systems have been very successful in the small convenience store market in Japan. On 8 September in Tokyo, the company was presented with the 19th Protection of the Ozone Layer & Prevention of Global Warming Award – organised by Japanese Newspaper Nikkan and presented by the Japanese Minister of the Environment – for their CO2 solution for small-size stores. Now they hope to bring this know-how to Europe. “In the last eight months [since launching the condensing unit in Europe] we have installed 200 stores – that’s huge in Europe. In Japan, we have a bit more than 200 stores too,” Gillaux says, expressing satisfaction with the speed at which the European market is developing. Panasonic has also launched a pilot project using CO2 plug n’ play systems, at a small COOP store in Randers, Denmark. Gillaux is not afraid of the competition. Source: www.r744.com