A family-run business driven by a passion for the trade
Founded in 2015 by Cédric Voisin, C2R was born out of a simple desire: to offer a local service underpinned by solid technical expertise. A WorldSkills winner in 1999, and after several years at the helm of a national agency specialising in refrigeration, Cédric Voisin decided to set up his own business and return to the front line, alongside his son Steven. Initially specialising in subcontracting for commercial refrigeration, the company has gradually expanded and, since 2017, has focused primarily on industrial refrigeration systems, particularly in the fruit and vegetable, food production, wine-growing and cold storage sectors.
Today, C2R has twelve employees and a turnover in excess of €4 million. True to its values, the company remains first and foremost a family venture: Cédric Voisin’s wife and his three sons are all involved in its development. Operating mainly in the Pyrénées-Orientales, C2R deliberately chooses to limit its geographical scope in order to guarantee rapid response times and long-term support.
A design consultancy dedicated to practical solutions
For the new Intermarché Drive (a drive through collection facility) in Argelès-sur-Mer, C2R worked in collaboration with Philippe Certiat, managing director of Energiom, based near Montauban. This design consultancy has been supporting major retail chains for many years on commercial, industrial and HVAC projects.
As part of this collaboration, Energiom was responsible for drawing up the operational specifications, whilst C2R carried out the detailed design, the sizing of the refrigeration system and the selection of equipment and technical solution. This collaboration enabled the design of a refrigeration system for the preparation and storage of food orders for Drive, whilst meeting the requirements for energy efficiency, ease of maintenance and the particularly tight project schedule.
“The choice therefore fell on an R-455A (Solstice® L40X) refrigeration system that perfectly met the technical, regulatory and budgetary constraints, whilst taking into account the availability of refrigeration components within the specified timeframe,” recalls Cédric Voisin, manager of C2R.
A new Drive collection facility designed to support the hypermarket’s growth
Attached to one of France’s top-performing Intermarché stores in terms of turnover, the Argelès-sur-Mer branch had a Drive collection facility that had become insufficient to cope with the growth in its business, which is particularly significant during the summer. The construction of a new 2,700 m² building has significantly increased storage capacity and improved order-picking conditions.
The project includes a preparation and picking area maintained at +2 °C, as well as a deep-freeze chamber at -24 °C, sized to meet refrigeration requirements of 47 kW for medium temperature cooling and 16 kW for freezing, even at an outside temperature of +42°C, operating continuously throughout the year.
A high-performance, future-focused installation
The project perfectly illustrates the evolution of commercial refrigeration systems towards more efficient and environmentally friendly solutions. The new system is based on a direct expansion architecture using R-455A, an A2L refrigerant with a very low GWP (146)*.
Two Le Froid Pecomark variable-capacity condensing units, fitted with Bitzer semi-hermetic compressors and controlled by a Carel pRack PLC, meet the building’s medium and low temperature cooling requirements. Thanks to floating high-pressure control and EC fans, condensing pressures automatically adapt to outdoor conditions in order to optimise seasonal efficiency and minimise electricity consumption.
Cooling is distributed via six dual-flow evaporators with EC motors for the medium temperature cold room and two Friga-Bohn cubic evaporators for the low temperature cold room. The cold rooms are controlled by Carel UltraCella control panels combined with Ultra-EVD extensions, whilst a Carel BOSS building management system (BMS) monitors temperatures, manages defrost cycles, handles technical alarms, records event logs and provides remote access.
Safety and service continuity
In accordance with regulations, an AKO leak detection system has been installed. In the event of a refrigerant leak, the solenoid valves close automatically and alarms are immediately transmitted to the control system, guaranteeing reliable and safe operation whilst ensuring continuity of service.
In addition, safety measures have been put in place to reassure staff, including ‘person trapped’ alarms, as well as audible and visual alarms.
A project completed in record time
The main challenge of this project lay in its tight schedule. The tender process was launched on 1 April, with bids due by 7 April. The quotation was approved on 10 April, with full handover of the installation scheduled for 31 May – leaving less than two months to design, source, install and commission all the equipment, and ensure Drive could open before the summer season. This particularly tight deadline confirms that all R-455A equipment is available and operational from manufacturers and distributors to meet the demands of this rapidly expanding market.
To meet the schedule, the four C2R technicians working on site used a temporary refrigeration unit to ensure the gradual drying of the floor slab in the low-temperature cold store prior to final commissioning. It should be noted that this floor slab is fitted with mechanical ventilation in accordance with DTU 45.1 (2023), a French technical standard for thermal insulation in refrigerated buildings, to keep the floor of the cold store frost-free.
With this project, C2R Froid reaffirms its position in the field of next-generation refrigeration systems, combining:
- Energy efficiency
- Low GWP
- Smart monitoring
- Regulatory compliance
- Optimisation of operating costs for modern logistics and food distribution centres
- Controlled capital expenditure.
One month after commissioning, the system is meeting the needs of the new Intermarché Drive perfectly, which is already operating at full capacity during this summer season with above-average outdoor temperatures.
* GWP values according to EU F-Gas III.
