// Sainsbury’s has launched a new flagship supermarket which plans to use only half the energy of a similar-sized store
// The supermarket will operate using 100% renewable electricity and will not rely on any fossil fuels.
Sainsbury’s has launched a new flagship supermarket in Hook which plans to use only half the energy of a similar-sized store and 25% less electricity than its other most energy-efficient supermarkets.
The new 25,000 sq ft supermarket will operate using 100% renewable electricity and will not rely on any fossil fuels.
The store is also part of a new trial that uses doors on chilled cabinets, keeping cold air in and reducing their energy demands by up to 60%.
Further energy savings have been driven by adding lids on frozen food display cabinets, which work in the same way.
The new store will contribute to the Sainsbury’s target of becoming water-neutral by 2040, with low-pressure bathroom taps and rainwater harvesting.
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The Hook store will set the standard for future Sainsbury’s superstores.
It will replicate and build on everything that works well in newly-constructed shops, as well as retrofitting its existing estate with the technology wherever it can.
Sainsbury’s property director Patrick Dunne said: “I’m immensely proud of everyone at Sainsbury’s who has helped to deliver what is a ground-breaking new store for us, the learnings from which will be used in future store investments.
“Sainsbury’s Hook is the culmination of many years of innovation, hard work and progress towards a more sustainable future for our business.
“I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the local community for your support and patience whilst we constructed this store. I hope everyone will agree it was worth the wait, not only for the new offer customers can now enjoy but for the progress in store sustainability it represents.”
Sainsbury’s currently operates with 100% renewable electricity and by the end of 2023 the retailer projects that up to 40% of its electricity will come from new-to-the-planet wind and solar power.
The improvements in the store’s efficient energy design are part of Sainsbury’s wider commitment to becoming Net Zero in its own operations by 2035.
Last week, Sainsbury’s revealed it had converted the delivery fleet of its Nine Elms London superstore to electric vehicles as it looks to reduce its operations emissions.
The new fleet will make on average over 2,000 deliveries each week, saving almost 57 tonnes of carbon annually.
The store will be an also active member of Sainsbury’s Food Donation Programme via Neighbourly, which works to reduce the amount of food waste within its operations and redistribute surplus food to those who need it most.
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