Tesco opens first 'eco store'

TESCO IRELAND yesterday unveiled the first "eco store" of its kind in the country, which will use an estimated 45 per cent less energy than a typical supermarket of a similar size, and will deliver 93 new jobs when it opens in Co Waterford next week.

The 30,000sq ft store at Ballycarnane in Tramore will save 420 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, resulting in a 30 per cent annual reduction, according to a spokesman.

The first supermarket in Ireland to be designed to the internationally recognised "Passiv Haus" (passive house) standard, it will feature the highest levels of insulation in the building and recycle more than 70 per cent of the heat used in the store's ventilation system.

The structure is supported by a wooden frame with timber harvested from sustainable forests. This factor has saved over 400 tonnes of carbon dioxide when compared to a conventional steel frame for a building of a similar size.

Skylights increase the level of natural light entering the store, while solar panels contribute towards powering the bank of cash registers. An environmentally friendly carbon dioxide refrigeration system is to be used in all fridges and freezers, using 15 per cent less energy than a conventional system. A combined heat and power unit - a gas burning system that generates electricity and then uses the excess energy to heat the store - will also help to provide chilled water in the summer months.

The store's first customer, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen, applauded initiatives of this kind, as great awareness can be raised locally of the daily impacts upon the environment, he said.

Tesco director of corporate affairs Dermot Breen said the new eco store was a key part of its overall environmental strategy and would help the firm develop the feasibility of standardising green initiatives in new stores.