Pre-cooling

All our cold rooms range from a minimum of 9 pallets to a maximum of over 1,000 pallets. Our pre-cooling machines can be integrated to any cold room for which we offer capacities from 3,000m3/h – 150Pa – to cool down a single pallet independently up to 30,000m3/h – 150Pa – to cool down 12 pallets at the same time.

The smaller dimension of our cold rooms is 15m², with a storage capacity of approx. 8 to 10 pallets (1.0 x 1.2 meter). It is equivalent to a 20’ reefer container, but with pre-cooling capabilities to cool down fast up to 12 pallets and 40% more efficient. The following standard sizes are 30m² and 60m².

Our cold rooms and pre-cooling solutons are powered by three-phase electric power (for smaller units in the range single-phase is possible, up to 7 kW of cooling capacity). The power can be from grid only or from a mix of grid, solar and diesel back-up

Pre-cooling is regarded as an indispensable first step by many regions like Europe, and it is a key step for products such as Blueberries, Avocados, Green Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Cherries, Cucumbers, Grapes, Honeydews, Kiwi, Nectarines, Okra, Bell Peppers, Plums, Summer Squash, Strawberries, Tomatoes, flowers and more.

Although certain crops can be stored without pre-cooling, many farmers and exporters, aiming towards the best results, practice pre-cooling as an integral part of their post-harvest management.

Reefer containers are designed to hold a specific temperature while in trucks or ships but they are not meant to precool. They miss the airflow control needed to treat fruit and vegetables. It is possible, but with a small fraction of the maximum allowed volume. Reefers available in most African countries have low coefficient performance compared to our equipment When they have been used for years, that coefficient performance lowers, bringing up the energy bill substantially. Read more in this article .

Yes, both chilled (above 0°C) and frozen (-18°C to -24°C).

Our pre-cooling solutions are portable machines that can be placed in any cold room, even existing ones. In case you are looking for a complete solution for a cold room with pre-cooling capabilities, you will need a three-phase grid connection, a concrete slab, and an access road for a truck with a container trailer. The concrete slab is part of the civil works and we, therefore, ask our clients to prepare before the deployment and assembly of our units. InspiraFarms provides guidance to customers on how to approach these civil works.

Our cold rooms are delivered containerized in a kit. Everything is delivered as part of the same consignment. From the structural part to the finishing and fittings. Following the site survey, a local engineer and contractor will be required to fit the cold room. In case you will requiring just the pre-cooling machine for an existing cold room then we can deliver it using conventional shipping methods.

The ideal temperature of a cold room depends on the product, the stage of the supply chain, and the target market. It is important to understand that temperature is not a key indicator of what is needed to treat fruit and vegetables. You can have a room with an air temperature of 2°C and still have the pulp temperature of your fruit at 20°C for days. Our pre-cooling solutions, which use forced-air system, to be added in any cold room assures your product reaches the right pulp temperature in a reduced time.

It will depend on the size and capability of the cooling machine, for which we offer ranges from 8 to 100+kW of thermal power according to the type of crop and the cycle time. For example, cooling down one kg of a climacteric fruit might require as much as 10 times the energy it is required to keep it cool. Cold rooms for avocados for example require a lot of cooling power and a specific airflow. To cool down 10,000 kg of avocados, a minimum of 25 kW of cooling power is required. Enquire from us for more detailed answers for specific crops.

Cold rooms are insulated by using sandwich panels. Our cold room panels are made of high density PUR (Polyurethane) to maximize the thermal insulation and grant our clients lower energy bills. Most companies in Africa are still using EPS (Styrofoam), but for the same thickness you get half the insulation from EPS. In addition, EPS is increasingly rejected by higher quality and value chains for the health and safety hazards they bring. Sub-optimal insulation can result in high energy bills, supply chain issues such as rejections and microbiological issues caused by condensation.

Yes, our modular cold rooms and our pre-cooling machines can be moved, although it’s a good idea to get the experts to do it. Trying to move the unit yourself would usually invalidate any warranty. The units are not mobile. For re-assembling, you will need to have the civil works ready in the new site. The pre-cooling machine can be placed by you in any cold room as required.

It depends on the size and capacity of the cold room and the capabilities of the pre-cooling solution selected. For a price estimation please fill out this form.

We are mostly focused on African markets. All our cold rooms and pre-cooling solutions can be delivered to any country in the following regions: East Africa, West Africa & Southern Africa. We have cold rooms with pre-cooling delivered in Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Ghana & Morocco.