New MD Discount Store Becomes First Supermarket In Italy To Use Honeywell Solstice® L40X (R-455A)

MORRIS PLAINS, N.J., January 9, 2023 – Honeywell today announced a new MD Discount (MD) store in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy, is the first supermarket in the country to use Solstice^® L40X (R-455A).

Solstice L40X is a ready-now, low-global-warming-potential (GWP), energy-efficient hydrofluoroolefin (HFO)-blend solution for commercial refrigeration applications such as small- and medium-size supermarkets, food service, cold rooms and freezer rooms. With support from their contractor ARNEG, MD selected Solstice L40X for its projected optimal energy-efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

The refrigerant has a low-GWP of 146, which allows MD to remain compliant with the European Union Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulation (EU F-Gas Regulation) calling on retailers to phase down the use of high-global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerants. Solstice L40X can be installed and serviced by routine contractors and its high critical temperature and low critical pressure characteristics make it ideal for high ambient temperatures.

“MD is committed to using solutions that support our energy-efficiency and sustainability initiatives, which currently includes refrigeration control through remote electricity monitoring systems as well as the use of refrigerated trucks powered by clean energy,” said Michele Aiello, Technical Director, MD. “We are now engaging with Honeywell to further our work in this area and implement Solstice L40X in our new San Giovanni in Persiceto store, which is projected to support a lifetime cost savings of approximately €260,000 and 25% lower lifetime emissions compared with carbon dioxide for that store alone¹. Selecting HFO solutions like Solstice L40X is critical for us as we continue to grow our food retail chain and focus on making choices that are better for the environment.”

“Honeywell’s energy-efficient Solstice L40X is ready-now to address small- and medium-size supermarkets’ refrigeration needs and environmental transformation goals, while complying with regulatory requirements,” said Julien Soulet, vice president and general manager, Fluorine Products, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Honeywell Advanced Materials. “This comprehensive solution part of Honeywell’s Solstice line of HFO refrigerants will support food retailers such as MD with driving towards carbon neutrality targets, reducing energy bills and improving their bottom line.”

Honeywell has invested more than one billion dollars in research, development and new capacity for its Solstice technology, having anticipated the need for lower-GWP solutions to combat climate change more than a decade ago. The product line, which helps customers lower their greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency without sacrificing end-product performance, includes refrigerants for supermarkets and heat pumps, air conditioning for cars and trucks, blowing agents for insulation, propellants for personal and household care, solvents for cleaning solutions and are being evaluated for use in metered-dose inhalers.

Using Honeywell Solstice products has helped avoid the potential release of the equivalent of more than 295 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, comparable to eliminating emissions of more than 62 million cars².

Honeywell is committed to achieving carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035 and recently announced a new set of commitments that further advance its sustainability goals, including committing to set a science-based target with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) that will include scope 3 emissions and participation in the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Climate Challenge. The company also supports the Paris Climate Agreement. These efforts build on the company’s track record of sharply reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of its operations and facilities as well as its decades-long history of innovation to help its customers meet their environmental and social goals. In 2021, approximately 60% of Honeywell’s new product introduction research and development investment was directed toward products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers.

For more information on Solstice L40X, its applications, and impact, visit: https://sustainability.honeywell.com/us/en

About Honeywell

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

About MD

MD S.p.A.(www.mdspa.it) is a top discount chain in Italy, having closed 2021 with a revenue uplift of 5,6% that led the company to break the €3bn threshold in turnover, which follows an overperformance of more than 15% in 2020. The market average in the discount business stands at 0,6%. The history of MD S.p.A., 28 years after its birth, continues to be strongly characterized by its founder, Patrizio Podini, who took his first steps in the large-scale distribution since ’60. In 1994, Podini took over the first stores to incorporate in the network and "invented" the discount store in the South, founding what was then called Lillo S.p.A., and launching a brand called MD Discount. Today, the new store openings, the renovations of the older points of sale, and the work to complete the new Cortenuova distribution center, go hand-in-hand with MD’s strong acceleration on sustainability. Today, the company has about 800 stores and over 8,000 employees.

[1] Results are based on data input from MD and specific analyses using Honeywell’s Eco-Efficiency model, which has been independently validated by Cemafroid.

[2]Calculations are based on Solstice products sales actuals from January 2015 through July 2022, and utilize the EPA GHG equivalency calculator for conversion.