Colruyt Group has switched to using ‘liquid ice containers’ to transport fresh products to its stores. It says that these new units have an impact on climate change that is 58 per cent lower than that of classic refrigerated containers.
Developed by the Belgian retailer’s in-house engineers, the containers use liquid ice made using locally generated green power. They can also remain at the same temperature for 48 hours, which gives Colruyt more flexibility when it comes to logistics.
Liquid ice is a frozen-but-liquid mix of water and ethanol, and is produced for Colruyt at its distribution centre in Halle, using locally generated wind and solar energy.
The liquid ice is pumped into specially designed refrigerated containers, which can reach the desired temperature within half an hour, be stocked with fresh produce, and then be transported in normal lorries. When they get back to the distribution centre, the mix is pumped out of the the container, cooled again, and reused.
"Moreover, when necessary we can inject a maximum amount of liquid ice into the containers to keep them at temperature for up to 48 hours", added Engineer Benjamin De Cooman.
"The new container also has a larger volume, which means we need fewer containers and can transport more goods during fewer trips," he said.
"In short, we can have a more flexible and efficient transportation planning, which saves transportation kilometres and greenhouse gas emissions."
Colruyt’s switch to liquid ice containers is part of its long term CO2 reduction plan, in which it aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent compared to 2008 levels by 2020.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Jenny Whelan. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
