Makro Opens ‘First-of-Its-Kind’ Integrated 1.6MW CO₂ Store in South Africa

Wholesale retailer Makro, part of the Massmart Group, has opened an integrated 1.6MW (455TR) CO₂ (R744) store in New London, South Africa, which it calls a “first-of-its-kind” for the country.

The central CO₂ plant, designed by South Africa-based engineering firm Future Green Now (FGN), meets all of the store’s thermal energy loads, which include low- and medium-temperature refrigeration, air-conditioning and heating for the retail area and administrative offices, and domestic hot water. The property owner, M&F Giurichich Developments, collaborated with Massmart, its lessee, on the project, which is the retailer’s first store in the region.

“This installation provides a tangible pilot for measuring the actual energy consumption and savings,” George Arnold, an FGN engineer, told the RACA Journal. “Our estimations indicate a reduction in electrical usage of 20–30% for the integrated plant,” he added, based on a comparison of a conventional design with R404A refrigeration and chilled-water air-conditioning.

Massmart operates more than 300 stores in eight sub-Saharan countries and has a 2040 zero emissions operation target. The retailer reportedly mandated the use of CO₂ refrigerant in the new store and set a design objective to enhance overall energy efficiency, according to Arnold. To that end, FGN replaced the normal chilled-water air handling units (AHUs) with direct expansion CO₂ AHUs.

Construction on the New London store began in April 2024, with Engineering Solutions overseeing the installation of the refrigeration components and HVAC subcontractor AirFire Solutions the air-conditioning. It opened in September 2025 with a rooftop solar array supplying supplementary power.

The setup: The design incorporates two CO₂ racks with Danfoss Bock semi-hermetic compressors. The 1.6MW capacity is split between the refrigeration and air-conditioning systems via stainless-steel pipes.

• Local manufacturer Heating Center, known as HC Group, built the racks and AHUs, with cooling coils rated at 60bar (870psi) of pressure and heating coils rated at 130bar (1,885psi).
• Italian component manufacturer Carel supplied the controls. “Working closely with their team, we developed the specific programming and control logic, resulting in a bespoke system tailored to the facility’s unique requirements,” Arnold said.
• Instead of directly rejecting excess heat through two adiabatic gas coolers, Arnold explained that the design preheats hot water and supplies heat to the AHUs, providing “significant energy savings.” Reclaimed condensate from the AHUs and the display cases reduces the water consumption of the adiabatic gas coolers.

Capex vs. opex: Compared to a traditional approach, FGN expects that the CO₂ system’s lifetime reduced energy consumption will offset its higher initial capital investment.

• “In addition to the energy savings, we anticipate that the cost of CO₂-specific components, such as compressors and valves, will decrease as market demand increases,” Arnold said.

Not the first: Although the New London project may be the first integrated CO₂ system of that size, Massmart has already successfully implemented the technology, according to the RACA Journal.

• The retailer piloted a refrigeration- and AHU-integrated CO₂ system in a small-format liquor store in Woodmead, located in the northern part of Johannesburg.

Quotable: “The client [Massmart] has expressed significant satisfaction with the project, particularly as this represents a first-of-its-kind implementation for them,” Arnold said. “They are actively exploring the adoption of this integrated approach for refurbishments at other existing store locations with FGN.”