McLaren Construction’s Midlands and North division has announced the completion of a cold store facility in the UK for Magnavale, a temperature-controlled warehousing and value-added service provider.
Standing 47m tall, the fully automated facility has the capacity to house 101,000 pallets.
Situated near Grantham, the rack-clad facility is claimed to be the UK’s largest cold storage unit, maintaining a standard temperature of -20°C.
Spanning over 474,283ft², the development can operate at temperatures as low as -28°C and is completely powered by renewable energy sources.
The facility includes an office space across five storeys, external yards, a heavy goods vehicle marshalling area, and a car parking area for the staff.
A refrigeration plant ensures that the storage chamber maintains the optimal conditions necessary for preserving frozen food products.
The project reportedly faced a variety of distinctive challenges during its construction. It was essential to deliver the facility while ensuring continuous access to the neighbouring McCain food production facility, as well as to an existing cold storage unit and water treatment processing plant, McLaren stated.
Throughout the construction process, the focus was on minimising disruptions to the ongoing operations of these facilities, added the company.
The project also required demolition and controlled waste removal, as the site was previously an iron ore drift mine. The team had to divert and relay multiple services and utilities across the site.
Due to spatial limitations, an external gantry system was utilised for certain services instead of traditional underground installations. The construction also featured a contractor-designed steel fibre slab, which reduced the need for on-site steel fixers.
Furthermore, an on-site gas generator was refurbished to supply 1.45MW of power. To avoid delivery delays associated with the large concrete pours, an on-site concrete batching plant was integrated into the build.
The project also entailed coordinating the arrival of 90 shipping containers of conveyor systems and managing an international workforce, including a team from Bosnia.
McLaren Construction Midlands and North managing director Gary Cramp said: “Delivering this project has been a remarkable achievement, showcasing McLaren’s expertise in managing large-scale, complex construction projects. This facility not only advances the UK’s cold storage infrastructure but also exemplifies our focus on sustainable and innovative building practices.”
In February this year, McLaren Construction received a £29.4m ($37.2m) contract from Stoford and Axel Logistics to construct an urban logistics hub in Crayford, South East London, England.
