Advanced refrigeration and heat recovery system for Lee Valley Ice Centre

The refrigeration system at the heart of the Lee Valley Ice Centre in north-east London uses high-efficiency Gorac cooling packs based on BITZER CSV screw compressors. Installed by G&O Refrigeration Ltd working with Ice Tech UK, the cooling plant uses an advanced heat recovery system to harness waste heat that would otherwise be lost to the atmosphere. The recovered heat provides supplementary heating for the building and powers the snow melt pit and permafrost protection loop beneath the ice pads. Additionally, it is used to produce domestic hot water for the centre's visitor facilities and on-site cafe.

The two Olympic-sized rinks are cooled by four Gorac chillers based on high-efficiency inverter-driven BITZER CSV screw compressors, with a combined cooling capacity of 800 kW. The chillers cool the twin ice pads through a secondary glycol circuit and are designed for future-proofing with built-in retrofitting ability to R1234yf. This includes plant room ventilation and integrated leak detection systems. The heat recovery system helps mitigate the recent sharp increases in the cost of energy. It uses a two-stage heat recovery process to increase water temperatures, from +45°C leaving the first stage to +85°C after the second stage. The heat recovery system significantly improves overall efficiency, capturing 200–500 kWh of energy and resulting in substantial annual energy savings. This makes a considerable contribution to reducing running costs and significantly cuts the centre's carbon footprint and environmental impact.

A total of 30 Gorac chillers, all based on BITZER screw compressors, have been installed to date across the UK. Another key benefit of the system is the ability to remotely monitor and diagnose potential problems via G&O Refrigeration's proprietary control systems, which are programmed to meet the needs of each project.