Warehouse Distribution Centre

Client: Costco Wholesale UK
Location: Crick, Northamptonshire

Appointed by Costco as the Specialist Refrigeration Engineer for their new Distribution Centre at Crick,  Envision designed the facility to provide chill storage to an area of 9,818m², with the chill store being held at a constant 4^oC.  The design also includes a 767m² low temperature freezer operating at -24^oC.  The system was designed to be extended for a future ‘Phase Two’ extension to chill and freezer areas.

Envision designed a pumped NH3 (Ammonia) refrigeration system to ensure effective refrigeration using a natural refrigerant, thereby minimising energy consumption for the year-round operation of the distribution centre. 

In order to keep the amount of internal refrigerant pipework to a minimum and the distribution floor clear of plant whilst accommodating the DC’s operation with cross dock loading and shipping, Envision’s design for the chilled area utilized evaporators mounted centrally at high level with roof-mounted distribution pipework and valve stations.

Envision also incorporated hot gas defrost and a glycol heater mat to the freezer, minimizing energy consumption by utilizing waste heat energy produced in the refrigeration process to prevent the build up of ice in the low temperature store.

Phase 1 of the Distribution Centre was handed over for operation in October 2015