TESCO IRELAND is about to open its first 'eco store' at Ballycarne near Tramore, Co Waterford.
Tesco says the new 30,000 sq ft store will use 45% less energy than a regular supermarket of similar size and will reduce its carbon footprint by one third annually.

The Tesco Tramore site will effectively save 420 tonnes of CO2 a year.

A carbon dioxide refrigeration system will be used for all fridges and freezers and will use 15% less energy than a conventional system.

The store has a cold air recycling system which takes cold air from chilled areas to warmer areas, which Tesco says reduces the stores need for air-conditioning.

Other energy-efficient initiatives in store include a combined heat and power unit that generates electricity and then uses the excess energy to heat the store. The CHP unit will also help provide chilled water in the summer months.

Tesco operates in 170 stores across the country and first began trading in Ireland in 1997.

Tesco said the store would give Tesco the chance to assess whether or not it can roll out such green initiatives in all its new stores.

Tony Keohane, chief executive of Tesco Ireland said 'We have been proactively investing and trialling new technologies in our stores across the country and as a result we have developed a more sustainable blueprint for our new buildings'.

He added 'Business has a responsibility to give a lead through its own behaviour - and businesses like ours have a particular responsibility. This is not just about short term environment-friendly initiatives, important though some of those may be, but about transforming our business model so that the reduction of our carbon footprint becomes a central driver of our business and not some PR add-on.'