Carrier and Brooktherm provide energyefficient cooling and heating solution for world ’ s largest vertical farm
Carrier AquaSnap ® 30RBP aircooled scroll chillers operating on lower global warming potential ( GWP ) refrigerant R-32 are providing high-efficiency cooling and heating for the world ’ s largest vertical farm in Lydney located in the Forest of Dean district in Gloucestershire , operated by Jones Food Company . The vertical farm , the size of seventy tennis courts , offers 148,000 square feet of growing space for stacking crops 15 layers high , and is expected to supply 1,000 tonnes of fresh produce a year to UK supermarkets . Carrier is a part of Carrier Global Corporation ( NYSE : CARR ), global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions .
Contractor Brooktherm Refrigeration Ltd was tasked with providing an HVAC solution capable of delivering a constant supply of efficient heating and cooling to the pressurised warehouse . It was essential that the chillers specified were compatible with Brooktherm ’ s control system .
“ One of the key challenges was the requirement to achieve four different temperature and
humidity set points ,” said Ben Doherty , Projects Coordinator , Brooktherm Refrigeration Ltd . “ With the support of Carrier , we achieved them all .”
Carrier recommended its flexible and compact AquaSnap 30RBP air-cooled scroll chillers with refrigerant R-32 , which operate from -0oC up to + 48oC , and come with Greenspeed intelligence ® variable-speed pumps to reduce pumping energy consumption by up to two-thirds . The innovative solutions support Carrier ’ s ESG goal of helping customers avoid more than 1 gigaton of GHG emissions by 2030 .
The Carrier chillers have a heat recovery system that enables waste heat to be captured and used for various heating applications on site , saving energy while maintaining optimum growing conditions . The cultivation warehouse is served by two HVAC plants , one on the north side and one on the south side , each equipped with two Carrier chillers , delivering a total of 2.2 megawatts of cooling and heating to the growing room .
“ This exciting project is an efficient and environmentally-responsible way to produce food and Carrier was delighted to be part of such a pioneering , sustainable new approach to growing the nation ’ s food ,” said Paul Hill , Regional Sales Manager , Carrier UK . “ The HVAC plant was fully commissioned summer of 2023 , and by October the entire growing area was fully planted , allowing the operator to harvest a tonne in weight of basil and leafy greens every 19 days .”
“ With our new facility , we further accelerate Britain ’ s position as a world-leader when it comes to vertical farming ,” said James Lloyd- Jones , Chief Executive Officer , Jones Food Company . “ We already supply thousands of British retail stores with basil grown in our first facility in Lincolnshire , but our Lydney site is three times bigger and will allow us to supply a greater range to more stores .”
6 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk
For more information about the cooling and heating solution delivered to Jones Food Company , visit : www . carrier . com / commercial / en / uk / products / air-conditioning / air-cooledchillers / 30rb--30rbp /