This is one of the first commercial CO2 refrigeration installed by Riverford Organic Farmers. It will meet both of its environmental targets; to reduce energy consumption and minimise the impact of refrigerant leaks on the environment. Energy efficiency is achieved by combining four factors, which contribute to the overall efficiency of the entire system. These are the choice of R744 (CO2) as a refrigerant, the design of the Panasonic units, the use of EC fans in the evaporators and the addition of electronic expansion valves. Together, it is estimated that the total energy savings for Riverford at the butchery will be at least 50%, compared to a standard refrigeration system using R452A as a refrigerant. It is hoped that once the system is running at full efficiency, the savings could be as great as 80%. This could result in a reduced operating cost of up to £45,000 per annum. In terms of the carbon impact of the refrigerant gas, the system will save over 116,000kg CO2e by using R744 in place of R452A. The global warming potential or GWP of R452A is 2140 compared to just 1 for R744. R744 also has a better thermal capacity which means the total refrigerant charge for this project is 40 kilos rather than around 60 kilos for a standard HFC refrigerant like R452A. If R452A had been chosen for the butchery project, the carbon emissions from this charge in the event of a leak would be 116,700kg CO2e. To put this in perspective, this equates to the amount of carbon released if you were to take an airline flight 12 times around the globe. The carbon emissions of R744 in the event of a leak on this project will be just 40kg CO2e, effectively the lowest possible impact available from any refrigerant. Another advantage is the cost of refrigerant. The estimated cost of using R452A for this project is £3000 while the cost of R744 is just £250.
 
 The project features four Panasonic 10HP outdoor units to supply cooling to three cold rooms. Two outdoor units are dedicated to the dispatch room, the largest of the cold rooms. This is used to store chilled goods before they are transported. Two three-fan evaporators maintain a constant temperature of 2°C, with each evaporator matched to one of the Panasonic outdoor units. This cold room measures 19 by 10 metres or 428 cubic metres. The choice of two evaporators in place of a single larger evaporator will contribute to the energy efficiency of the system. The third outdoor unit supplies two three-fan evaporators in the hanging room designed as a twin-system. This room is used to prepare and store meat while it matures. This room is set to 0°C, measures 12 by 5 metres or 135 cubic metres. The fourth unit supplies two 2-fan evaporators, once again as a twin-system, in the smaller retail room. This measures 13 by 5 metres and is kept at a set point temperature of 5°C.