Overview
Orwell Design Associates was appointed to deliver the refrigeration design for a new Farmfoods distribution facility in the North West of England. As our first project with the client, understanding their operational requirements and long-term expectations was key to developing a solution that combined efficiency, resilience and reliability.
The Challenge
The new distribution centre required a +4°C chilled storage facility capable of maintaining consistent temperatures for a wide range of products destined for Farmfoods stores across the UK. The client also wanted to minimise operational risk by eliminating single points of failure, ensuring business continuity in the event of equipment downtime.
Our Approach
ODA designed a CO₂ refrigeration solution based around two independent refrigeration systems, providing built-in resilience while maintaining high levels of energy efficiency. The packaged systems incorporated multiple compressors to optimise performance across varying operating conditions, particularly during part-load operation and lower ambient temperatures.
The chilled store design also included four ceiling-mounted evaporators, evenly distributed across both refrigeration systems to ensure balanced cooling performance and continued operation should maintenance be required.
Key Elements
- Refrigeration design consultancy for a new chilled distribution facility
- Two independent CO₂ refrigeration systems for operational resilience
- Multi-compressor packaged plant for improved energy efficiency
- Four ceiling-mounted evaporators with balanced system design
- Off-cycle defrost strategy
- Coordinated equipment layout and control panel integration
The Outcome
By taking a consultancy-led approach and understanding the client's operational priorities from the outset, ODA delivered a refrigeration design that balanced efficiency with resilience. The completed solution provides reliable chilled storage, supports future operational flexibility and reduces the risk of disruption through a robust, dual-system design.
