COOP Opens Netherlands Store with Freor R290 Water-Loop System

COOP, a European supermarket chain, has opened a new store featuring a propane (R290) cabinet and water-loop system, citing the system’s sustainability and energy savings.

The store opened on July 27 in Wernhout, in the southeast part of the Netherlands, and is the most recent installation in a COOP store of the Hydroloop R290 system, according to a press release from Freor, a Lithuanian OEM, which supplied the equipment.

“The managers of the COOP store in Wernhout emphasize sustainability,” said the release. “That is why they opted for the latest technology in refrigeration.”

Growing numbers of COOP stores in the Netherlands are opening with propane water-loop systems, while others are remodeling with R290 installations, according to the Freor website.

Stores around the world are also installing Freor technology, such as in Northern Ireland, Aruba, and Norway, and Hydroloop systems have been used in Finland since 2015 and Switzerland since 2016.

Koelservice van Tol, a Netherlands-based contractor, installed the Hydroloop system.

Freor’s Hydroloop system collects condensation heat from in-store cabinets with R290 cooling units and removes it outside the building via a glycol line, with a glycol-water mix used as the cooling medium.

“The system allows the COOP store to reuse the residual heat for heating up the premises,” said the release.  

“The heat reusage, in combination with energy-efficient hydrocarbon-operated refrigeration display equipment, allows significant energy cost savings of up to 30%.”

The store includes two semi-vertical open-front display cabinets, two promotional display showcases, and four self-service refrigerators, notes the Freor website.

In addition, there are six other display cabinets, comprising a total length of 15m (49.21ft).