UK’s largest shellfish port – Freezer Store Chiller Hire
The Challenge
The UK’s largest shellfish port, responsible for storing the catch of the day, experienced a sudden failure of its chiller plant. This breakdown put thousands of pounds of fresh fish and seafood stock at risk. The critical freezer needed to maintain a constant -18°C air temperature with a cooling requirement of 60 to 80 kW. Given the urgency, downtime was not an option.
The job presented several complexities; requiring a truly bespoke solution:
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Extreme low temperature application requiring precise planning.
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Risk of ice buildup on temporary condensate and hoses, demanding protective heat tracing.
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Installation challenges due to the air handling unit (AHU) needing to be positioned 8 metres high in racking, requiring forklifts and crane assisted delivery.
This was not a typical hire. But our experienced team could deliver a reliable, efficient and rapid low temp solution in these conditions.
The Solution
Celsius Hire responded immediately with a robust temporary cooling system tailored to the site’s needs. The installation included:
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VLT 60 water cooled chiller with 500 kW dry air cooler (for condenser water loop), complete with pumps, tanks, and 5 x 50 kW low temperature AHUs located internally inside the freezer room.
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Heat traced flanged hoses to prevent freezing and maintain system reliability.
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Cranes, Hiab and forklifts for safe positioning of the equipment; including lifting the AHUs onto the high level racking.
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A two day install carried out by our brilliant engineers Richard Thurston, Kyle Thurston, and Anthony Jeffers.
The system was carefully designed and installed to handle the unique requirements of the application, ensuring consistent freezer performance at -18°C.
The Result
Celsius Hire successfully achieved the freezing temperatures, safeguarding valuable seafood stock and allowing production to continue without disruption.
The original six week hire was extended to twelve weeks, reflecting the customer’s confidence in the system’s reliability and performance.
Comment from Anthony Jeffers, Northern Sales Manager:
“This was a very interesting and challenging project. Maintaining -18°C inside a freezer room is not a straightforward temporary cooling application. It requires detailed planning, heat traced hoses, and the right experience on site. At Celsius Hire, we pride ourselves on getting these specialist installs right the first time. Not every hire company can deliver this type of solution, but our team made it happen.”
Why Hire a Cold/Freezer Store Solution?
Summer heat waves, seasonal peaks in demand or unexpected equipment breakdowns can all put existing refrigeration systems under strain. For many businesses, that’s not just an inconvenience; it can mean lost stock, reduced productivity and missed deadlines.
Our low temperature cooling units are the perfect backup or supplementary solution, giving you the flexibility to scale your cold storage exactly when you need it most.
Flexible capacity – suitable for both large scale and smaller cold/freezer stores
Ultra-low cooling – with air off temperatures as low as -20°C
Fast turnaround – rapid installation, set-up and commissioning
24/7/365 support – expert engineers always on hand
