Epta Middle East Commissioning 370kW CO₂ Refrigeration System for Dubai Hypermarket

Epta Middle East, part of the Epta Group, is commissioning a 370kW (105.2TR) ECO2GIANT CO₂ (R744) refrigeration system as part of a hypermarket renovation in Dubai.

The CO₂ racks will provide cooling for all of the hypermarket’s refrigerated cabinets and coldrooms, including chillers and freezers, Andrea Cavalet, General Manager of Epta Middle East, told NaturalRefrigerants.com. The store will remain open to the public during the refrigeration system retrofit.

“The system relies on Epta’s proven ETE technology, which has demonstrated reliability and efficiency worldwide, even in extreme high temperature conditions, such as those exceeding 48°C [118°F] in Australia, ” Cavalet said. “No additional supporting technologies are being used to manage Dubai’s intense summer peaks beyond our FTE 3.0 and ETE solutions.”

The architecture: The customizable ECO2GIANT modular unit was developed for the Australian market, according to Epta.

• “The system features a bespoke electrical board and design pressures up to 130bar (1,885psi) on the high side and up to 80bar (1,160psi) on the liquid and suction side,” Epta said. “The flexible design enables integration with air conditioning and heat recovery for full-store efficiency,” Epta said, which supports adaptation to different project requirements.

Primed for growth: Epta established itself in the Middle East over a decade ago, installing self-contained propane (R290) cabinets and helping demonstrate the viability of CO₂ refrigeration systems in the region.

• “In the last five years alone, Epta has delivered solutions to almost 500 stores across the Middle East,” Cavalet said, citing thousands of R290 self-contained displays and the Carrefour by MAF supermarket in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, which has operated with CO₂ refrigeration since 2019.
• Cavalet said Epta sees growing interest among major retailers in the region, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in natural refrigerant solutions, driven by government energy-efficiency targets and ESG roadmaps.
• To accelerate the transition to natural refrigerants, ATMOsphere, publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com, will host ATMO Middle East in 2027, with Epta as the platinum sponsor.

Performance gains: Epta launched its FTE (full transcritical efficiency) technology solution for CO₂ systems in 2017 and its ETE (extreme temperature efficiency) system in 2020.

• The ETE system, with a dedicated compressor activated at an ambient threshold, nearly eliminates flash gas formation by subcooling a portion of the CO₂ refrigerant exiting the gas cooler. The design effectively mimics a 10‒15°C (18‒27°F) reduction in ambient temperature, delivering 15‒20% energy savings under high-heat conditions.
• The company’s FTE technology eliminates superheat by adding a low-pressure receiver that floods the medium-temperature (MT) evaporators. It raises the evaporation temperature by up to 4‒6K (4‒6°C/7‒11°F) to reduce MT compressor workload, delivering roughly 10-15% year-round energy savings.

Quotable: “This project validates the Group’s CO₂ roadmap for extreme climates and strengthens our credibility to replicate similar solutions across high temperature regions,” said Cavalet.

“The system relies on Epta’s proven ETE technology, which has demonstrated reliability and efficiency worldwide, even in extreme high temperature conditions, such as those exceeding 48°C [118°F] in Australia.”

Andrea Cavalet, General Manager of Epta Middle East