Quantum Annealing Breakthrough Puts Supermarket Refrigeration Optimisation Within Reach

A peer-reviewed study has reported a scaling advantage for quantum annealing in approximate optimisation, a first of its kind, strengthening the case that near-term quantum hardware can outpace leading classical heuristics on real-world-style problems (Muñoz-Bauza & Lidar 2025). DOI+1 A separate benchmarking study in npj Quantum Information likewise found state-of-the-art annealers solving dense combinatorial tasks with markedly higher accuracy and speed than classical solvers (Kim et al. 2025). Nature

Why it matters for refrigeration

Refrigeration is the single largest electrical load in grocery retail, routinely accounting for ~40–60% of store electricity use—making even single-digit efficiency gains material to P&L and decarbonisation targets (Schneider Electric 2025; EIA 2024). Food Logistics+1 Supermarket operators juggle coupled, hard constraints: multi-compressor rack staging, floating head/suction pressures, case temperature limits, defrost windows, demand-charge avoidance, and interactions with HVAC heat reclaim. Casting these choices as QUBO (quadratic unconstrained binary optimisation) turns day-to-day plant control into exactly the kind of problem quantum annealing and QAOA target (Kim et al. 2025). Nature

Signal from buildings — a pilot-ready path

Momentum is also coming from building operations research. An Engineering paper demonstrated an adaptive, quantum-enhanced model predictive control (MPC) that translated building energy control into a QUBO solved by QAOA, reporting ~6.8% energy-efficiency uplift and ~41.2% annual CO₂ reduction in simulation versus deterministic MPC (Ajagekar & You 2025). AZoBuild While the study’s testbeds were university buildings with PV and battery storage, the same MPC framing extends to food retail sites, where refrigeration interacts with HVAC and on-site assets. In practical terms, a hybrid quantum-classical MPC could co-optimise:

• Rack staging and set-points: minimise compressor starts while holding case temps.
• Defrost scheduling: align defrost cycles to low-tariff periods and thermal buffers.
• Head/suction pressure floats: trade energy vs. product safety under weather and load forecasts.
• Heat reclaim with HVAC: recover condenser heat without breaching comfort limits.

What the new results change

• Credible advantage at useful tolerances. The PRL work shows annealing can scale better than top classical methods when “near-optimal” is acceptable—precisely the regime most plant operators use for time-critical control (Muñoz-Bauza & Lidar 2025). DOI
• Dense, real-world embeddings. The npj study benchmarks dense problems, reducing the gap between lab demos and operational QUBOs that arise in multi-asset control (Kim et al. 2025). Nature
• Hybrid stacks look practical. The building-control study shows a route to apply quantum solvers as one component inside MPC, rather than replacing mature control systems (Ajagekar & You 2025). AZoBuild

Near-term pilots: from sand-boxes to stores

A sensible first step is advisory mode: run quantum-enhanced schedulers in parallel to live PLC set-points and compare against status-quo logic. KPIs should include total kWh, peak kW, product-temperature excursions, nuisance alarms, compressor starts, and defrost-related scrap. Operators with advanced sub-metering and case temperature telemetry are best positioned to quantify benefit.

Related field — cold-chain logistics

Beyond the plant room, quantum optimisation is advancing route planning and disruption handling in logistics. A recent review highlights growing, practical use cases in dynamic vehicle routing and parcel re-packing, with hybrid quantum-classical methods maturing across 2025 (Shamsuddoha et al. 2025). MDPI For grocers, this means the same technology stack could optimise truck routes and in-store compressor schedules under one decision framework.

Risks and realities

Hardware remains noisy and integrations take time. Results to date are strongest for approximate solutions and hybrid workflows—not full quantum takeovers. Nonetheless, with refrigeration dominating store energy, even modest, repeatable gains at portfolio scale are strategically relevant (Schneider Electric 2025; EIA 2024). Food Logistics+1

Bottom line: The past six months have delivered enough empirical progress to justify targeted pilots that place quantum solvers inside energy-critical refrigeration control loops—initially as advisory co-pilots, then moving to closed-loop once benefits are proven (Muñoz-Bauza & Lidar 2025; Kim et al. 2025; Ajagekar & You 2025). DOI+2Nature+2