Power for mega cooling DC

April 2017, Eindhoven - The Netherlands

A continuous and trouble-free power supply is essential for almost every company. That certainly applies to the new distribution center of Scherpenhuizen B.V. in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Expert knowledge and a flexible attitude were crucial to set up the power supply under considerable time pressure. Elektro Internationaal B.V. turned out to be the right partner for the job.

The new distribution center of fresh supplier Scherpenhuizen, which is on the industrial site Acht-Noord in Eindhoven, stretches out over an area measuring eight to nine football fields. The new dc is mainly used for packaging and distributing fruit and vegetables. The total size of the building is approximately 44,000 m2, of which 34,000 m2 hall, 6,000 m2 mezzanine and a CO2 neutral office of 3,200 m2.

BREEAM ‘OUTSTANDING’
Corporate social responsibility is of paramount importance at Scherpenhuizen and it was therefore decided to set up the new building along the BREEAM methodology. The ambition was to achieve the highest level, BREEAM ‘Outstanding’. To realize this ambition, a large number of sustainable measures have been included in the design, including a completely gas-free climate control system, LED lighting throughout the building and 1,966 PV panels on the roof that provide the cooling system with electricity.

MEGA COOLING HALL
Commissioned by electro-technical installer Mansveld, Elektro Internationaal B.V. designed and produced the main distribution panel and nineteen sub-distribution panels. The distributor for the PV installation was also created in the Elektro Internationaal workshop. With a total power of 3,200 Amps, that’s a heavy distributor. ”That is indeed a powerful panel, but we do not shy away from that”, says project leader Utilities Dirk Blom. “We can deliver up to 7,300 Ampere, which are used in data centers, for example. This project concerns a gigantic hall that needs to be cooled and huge distances over which we have to transport the energy. The majority of the current, about 1,000 Amp, goes to the cooling installation. We went all out to make everything come together as planned.”

INTEGRATION OF COMPONENTS
Elektro Internationaal had to do the job under considerable time pressure. The panel builder also had to take into account intermediate adjustments to the design. “The number of groups had to be expanded and the planned route of the third-party busbar system was not feasible. For us that meant adjusting the connections on the distribution panels. Eventually we had to make an additional distribution system under the busbar system to make it fit properly. That is quite a challenge with a 3,200 Amp installation.

The correct installation of the components of various suppliers (KNX system, energy meters and busbar system) was entrusted to Elektro Internationaal. Blom: “All these products come together in the distribution panel. This requires knowledge and a flexible attitude. With good suppliers behind us - such as Schneider Electric - and an organization that can act quickly, we can deliver this kind of customization.”

RELIABLE AND FLEXIBLE
Ondanks de uitdagingen wist het projectteam onder leiding van Dirk Blom binnen de strakke tijdsplanning succesvol op te leveren, naar grote tevredenheid van installateur Mansveld. “We hebben Elektro Internationaal benaderd omdat we ze kennen als een betrouwbare partij die op zeer korte termijn kan bouwen en leveren. Dat is ook weer op dit project gebleken. We hebben voor het eerst contact gehad in week 51 en in februari is het project opgeleverd. Een mooi staaltje werk.”

Despite the challenges, the project team, led by Dirk Blom, managed to deliver successfully within the tight time schedule. Much to the satisfaction of installer Mansveld: “We approached Elektro Internationaal because we know them to be a reliable party that can build and deliver on short notice. That has proven itself true yet again during this project. We had first contact in week 51 and the project was delivered in February. A fine example of a job well done!”

RETURN TO PROJECT OVERVIEW (https://www.elektro-internationaal.com/tp-28933-2/nieuws/project)