Aggreko makes light work of skating rink

UK: Hire firm Aggreko is again providing the power, refrigeration and heating for the spectacularly-lit seasonal ice rink Luminocity at London’s Canary Wharf.

In addition to ensuring that the ice remains in peak condition, no matter what the outside temperature, Aggreko is also powering the ice rink’s spectacular new light show, which displays 16 million different colours every session from 8km of LED lights laid beneath the ice. There is also a suspended lighting system to provide a fully adjustable ambient experience above the skaters’ heads. 

Aggreko’s heat pump chillers also provide heating for the bar, lounge and skate exchange areas for the ice rink, which located in the heart of Docklands, London, at Canada Square Park. It is open until February 25, 2016, with 11 skating sessions a day. It is fully covered by a clear roof to guarantee skating sessions whatever the weather.

“Last year’s mild autumn weather made it difficult to maintain pristine ice surfaces on temporary ice rinks around the country, though we’re happy to report that very few problems occurred at Aggreko-supported projects. This was a testament to our design, equipment technology and experience within the sector,” said Graham Dames, Aggreko’s sales manager for Event Services Northern Europe.

“Despite ambient temperatures reaching 17°C last winter, we helped avoid rink closures by providing well designed and reliable turnkey chiller and power packages.”

Five 250kW heat pump chillers were supplied with fan coil units in the bar, lounge and skate exchange areas. The heating mode of the chillers will also be used to melt the rink during take down, thereby saving on the need to bring in additional equipment to melt the rink after the event.