HAMPSHIRE-based contractor DCI Refrigeration and Electrical has officially opened a new £100,000 CO2 retail refrigeration test plant and training facility in Portsmouth.
The new facility combines a live convenience store and plant room with a fully-equipped training room was officially opened this week by Phil Ponsonby, chief operating officer for The Southern Co-operative.

Based on DCI's 20 years' experience in refrigeration for convenience retailing, the new plant includes both subcritical and transcritical operation. A booster CO2 refrigeration pack drives approximately 5kW of low temperature cabinets and cold rooms at -30°C and 25kW of high/medium temperature applications at -6°C. Two Bitzer semi-hermetic CO2 compressors are in subcritical operation for the low temperature requirement and a further three run transcritical for high temperature. One machine on each of the low temperature and high temperature side are inverter driven.

Speaking at the opening, the Co-op's Phil Ponsonby said: 'With increasing demand for efficient and environmentally friendly refrigerants, DCI has demonstrated that CO2 offers perhaps the most viable solution, particularly in the food chain where demand for chilled and frozen food continues to grow. We are currently working with DCI to evaluate the use of CO2 for our eco-friendly neighbourhood stores.'

This new operation is thought to be only the second such facility in the UK after WR Refrigeration opened a similar test plant in the Midlands last summer. As a result, DCI believes its new facility will be an important resource for retailers and provide refrigeration engineers to acquire the vital knowledge and experience to work with this refrigerant.