The move addresses growing customer demand for ownership flexibility, catering to both short-term operational needs and long-term investment strategies. To maintain cold chain integrity for cold stores, the ICS Cool Energy hire fleet now also includes battery packs compatible with refrigerated containers that can provide a stable power supply during outages or peak periods.
“Over the three decades in the temperature control industry, we’ve seen customer needs evolve with changing market and business conditions,” said Dave Palmer, country leader ICS Cool Energy UK. “This includes businesses requiring low and very-low temperature storage, where flexibility of hire solutions goes in pair with security of ownership. By introducing sales, we are giving our customers the opportunity to invest in proven cold storage technology, while still providing the hire option for those requiring operational adaptability.”
The ICS Cool Energy Cold Store solutions deliver high cooling capacity in combination with precise temperature control from +30⁰C to -40°C, even in demanding applications with high ambient temperatures, frequent door openings, long running hours etc. These units serve industries such as food and beverage, pharmaceutical, warehousing and others, where raw or finished products require temporary or long-term temperature-controlled storage to preserve or increase shelf life. The units can be also applied in R&D applications requiring stable environments to enable Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) of critical components.
Available in 10ft, 20ft and 40ft length, the cold stores feature refrigeration technology is from Thermo King, a company specialising in transport temperature control solutions. The units connect to 360-500 Volt 50 or 60 Hz power supplies to deliver consistent performance for fresh, frozen or ultra-low temperature storage.
Originally designed for global, seagoing reefer applications, ICS Cool Energy containers are equipped with features that make them suitable as static cold stores. This includes wash-down drains, man-trap alarms, interior lighting, emergency escape releases and compliance with British Retail Consortium audit standards.
Customers can adapt their cold stores with options, including telematics, remote monitoring, and controlled atmosphere. Modular configurations are also available, enabling multiple cold stores to be joined together without connecting walls or extensive engineering. These modules can be linked with buildings without the need for lengthy planning permission processes or groundworks.
Additionally, ICS Cool Energy offers service plans and support for purchased cold stores. This ensures that the units operate efficiently and according to specifications, maintaining optimal performance and reliability over their lifetime.