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Driven by the energy crisis and in accordance with its strategy regarding the decarbonization of operations, Auchan Romania has initiated a new set of actions that ensure the reduction of the company's energy consumption by 20 percent, Auchan said in a release on Tuesday, told Agerpres.
The retailer has implemented multiple measures with a short and medium-term effect, and the multi-tier initiatives complement the already existing energy efficiency investments made as part of the 2030 Climate Plan. Cutting energy consumption was already a priority in previous years, as in the period 2014-2020 the company succeeded in cutting consumption by another 20 percent.
"The measures are intended to maintain a high quality standard of the company's services and products and at the same time preserve the customers' purchasing power. In a first stage, as part of the energy sobriety plan, the company aims to streamline working hours for the preparation of stores for opening, as well as to implement an even more efficient stock management system," the release states.
The most visible measure is the reduction of lighting in stores, underground and above-ground parking lots, by either turning it off completely or reducing it to a minimum overnight, so that the activity is not affected. At the end of the working hours, the logos, signs and air conditioning in the stores and administrative spaces are also completely shut down, and sensor systems have been installed in certain areas.
The retailer is planning new investments in replacing the refrigeration plants with CO2 cooling technology; over 25 stores have already completed the switch and another 5 are in for the change in 2023. Other investments envisage HVAC systems to ensure low energy consumption, as well as other partnerships aimed at increasing energy efficiency.
The plans include increasing the share of LED lighting to 100 percent, as well as investments in solar panels for logistics platforms and stores.
At the same time, Auchan seeks to obtain new energy efficiency certifications for sustainable buildings. Recently, the logistics center in Calan obtained the BREEAM certification for sustainability and low impact on the environment, and Auchan will continue this process at a sped up pace.
Auchan Romania operates 298 stores, including 33 hypermarkets, 6 supermarkets and 259 MyAuchan ultra-proximity stores, of which more than 200 are in Petrom gas stations, as well as the online store auchan.ro.
