GEA to supply ammonia plant to UK’s highest cold store
14th December 2023
UK/GERMANY: GEA is to supply a two-stage ammonia refrigeration system and 32 air coolers for the UK’s tallest cold store under construction in Easton, near Grantham, Lincolnshire.
The new £130m cold store being built by Magnavale, one of the UK’s leading cold storage providers, measures 150m long x 100m wide x 47m high and will have a capacity of 101,000 pallets. It will be built next to an existing 44,000-pallet cold store, also owned by Magnavale, on the same site.
The high bay coldstore interfaces with a 35m long expedition bay which has 20 loading docks. It is also supplemented with two floors for value added services.
Due for completion in late 2024, the facility will be fully automated and powered 100% by renewable energy. It will be used for cooling frozen food products. It is designed with the capability to reach -28ºC.
GEA developed an individually-tailored solution, which included using CFD simulations to illustrate the air flow and temperature profile within the high bay cold store based on the cold lake principle design.
The two-stage ammonia refrigeration plant with optimised circulation rate comprises three screw compressors, three reciprocating compressors and three condensers. In addition, ten air coolers are installed in the high-bay cold store and 22 in the loading bay area.
The GEA screw compressors are employed as the low stage booster compressors, coupled with GEA Grasso V-series reciprocating compressors to take advantage of the reciprocating compressors’ enhanced COP at part load operation.
