News Release
Press Release Number: 041207
18th December 2007
ASDA FIRST TO LAUNCH ECOFRIDGE IN ITS FLEET OF
FOOD DISTRIBUTION TRAILERS
Supermarket trial set to cut carbon emissions by circa 860 tonnes
Today ASDA announced market leading plans to replace its traditional diesel-fuelled fridges in its transport fleet with an emission free, silent running alternative -reducing carbon and eliminating noise pollution from deliveries made to stores.
The aptly titled 'ecoFridge', which is being trialled in seven articulated vehicles at ASDA's Skelmersdale depot, will reduce the overall amount of carbon emitted by its fleet transport by around 860 tonnes, putting the supermarket on course to hit their commitment in reducing the amount of carbon produced by 80,000 metric tonnes by the end of 2008.
If the trial study is successful, the ecoFridge, which runs off liquid nitrogen rather than diesel, may be rolled out to its entire fleet of temperature controlled distribution trailers. By switching all of its fleet transport to nitrogen powered refrigeration, ASDA estimates it could reduce overall carbon emissions by 70,000 metric tonnes in the next five years.
The ecoFridge, designed by Ukram Industries, works by using emission free, liquid nitrogen as the accelerant in the cooling process. In comparison, traditional diesel-fuelled fridges emit high levels of carbon dioxide and hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), both renowned for their contribution to global warming and depletion of the ozone layer.