Danish manufacturer Advansor has installed “Latin America’s largest single CO2 (R744) rack,” a 1.7MW (483TR) SteelXL unit in a new Walmart distribution center in San José, Costa Rica, according to LATAM Sales Manager Mauricio Baena.
The system provides 950kW (270TR) of medium-temperature (MT) cooling capacity, 510kW (145TR) of low-temperature (LT) capacity and 246kW (70TR) for heating, Baena told NaturalRefrigerants.com, with the local contractor Dicoma Corporation handling the system setup. Recovered heat from the system is used for freezer-room floor heating, while a separate system provides hot gas defrost.
The details: To increase efficiency, the rack uses parallel compression and permanent magnet motors to drive the compressors.
- The SEPR (seasonal energy performance ratio) of the MT system is 3.56 and 1.96 for the LT system, according to Baena.
- Unlike COP, which reflects system efficiency at fixed conditions, SEPR represents performance over a typical year, accounting for varying loads and ambient temperatures.
Why CO2: Walmart has used different technologies for projects of this size in the past, Baena noted. However, it chose to go with CO2 in this warehouse for several reasons, including lower capital expenditure and onsite implementation costs compared to other natural refrigerant solutions.
- Additional factors highlighted by Baena included the support of the contractor and manufacturer and the simplicity of the installation process.
By the numbers: In December 2024, there were a total of 100 Latin American industrial sites using transcritical CO2, with 50 sites in South America, 35 in Mexico and 15 in Central America, according to ATMOsphere’s “2024 Natural Refrigerants: State of the Industry” report. ATMOsphere is the publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com.
- By November 2023, Advansor had installed transcritical CO2 systems in 48 industrial applications and 41 commercial applications in Latin America, according to Baena. He provided the installation figures in a presentation at the ATMO LATAM Summit 2023, also organized by ATMOsphere.
Quotable: “CO2 is a well-proven technology already used in stores in the region,” Baena said. “With this installation, Advansor continues its LATAM leadership in the installation of CO2 refrigeration in industrial applications.”
“With this installation, Advansor continues its LATAM leadership in the installation of CO2 refrigeration in industrial applications.”
Mauricio Baena, LATAM Sales Manager at Advansor
