ACES Supplier Event
Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-Chain Equipment Procurement Webinar
We invite interested parties to join us for a supplier event webinar, where we will outline our plans and discuss innovative solutions that meet both climate and performance requirements.
AGENDA - 23rd September 2024
All times shown are CET.
- 13.00 Webinar introduction
- 13.05 Try Before You Buy (45 mins followed by 5 min break)
- 13.55 Locally sourced material cold-room (45 mins followed by 5 min break)
- 14.45 Community Cooling Hub (50 mins followed by 5 min break)
- 15.40 Tender process / collaborations
- 16.00 Webinar closes
Located on a five-hectare campus adjacent to a 200-hectare farm in Kigali, the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-Chain (ACES) engages in collaborative research, testing of innovative equipment, and the development of knowledge, training programs, and resilient business models. As the first Centre of Excellence of its kind globally, ACES focuses on providing holistic and sustainable cold-chain system solutions.
ACES is seeking to acquire new and innovative solutions for:
- Try Before You Buy unit for field deployment.
- A research Community Cooling Hub.
- A cold-room fabricated from locally sourced materials.
Following the commissioning, testing and stakeholder acceptance of the solutions, and subject to funding availability, CCN may expand the model to additional sites globally.
Highlights
Try Before You Buy
A core element of the Clean Cooling Network programme is the opportunity for communities to trial a refrigerated cooling and storage system before making a commitment to purchase. A “Try Before You Buy” approach can help the community validate their business model and allow the farmers to experience the value and opportunity that a cold chain provides.
We are seeking equipment that is transportable and relocatable between locations that provides pre-cooling and storage of food. A minimum precooling capacity of 500 kg will be acceptable (subject to energy source). The equipment should be capable of operating off grid or semi off grid locations (e.g. using solar power, but other solutions will be considered). Solutions that apply natural or low GWP refrigerants (GWP<150) will be given preference. As part of the supply, we also required supply of PCMs and thermal boxes for onward movement.
We are seeking a partner who can manage delivery of the equipment to sites in Rwanda, instruct the users on operation and maintenance, and at the end of the test period relocate and prepare the equipment for its next location.
Cold Store Using locally sourced materials
A cold store is to be constructed on the ACES Campus to test and demonstrate the use of locally sourced materials to provide an effective cold store structure. The structure will be cooled by an LiBr absorption cooling system which uses solar heat to operate. The cooling system equipment is not part of the tender supply but its integration into the room is part of the tender (the specification of the cooling system will be provided).
The store will have internal dimensions 5 m by 3 m with a ceiling height of 2.4 m. The building will have cavity walls with an insulation filled cavity. We assume the walls will be constructed using Interlocking Stabilised Soil Blocks (ISSB). The blocks will need to be made with the addition of water proofing additive - as used in the construction of water tanks - to mitigate the risk of moisture migration. The cavity will be filled from the bottom of the foundation to ground level with, for example, crushed water bottles. The remainder of the cavity will be filled with, for example, rice husk in sealed bags.
Community Cooling Hub - phase 1
By taking a systems-level understanding of community cooling needs, Community Cooling Hubs (CCHs) are designed to affordably and sustainably meet a portfolio of a community’s economic, health and social cooling needs – an energy hub but with a cooling focus.
Phase 1 is to develop the integrated cooling solution for Postharvest Management and Cold chain. We expect that the solution will include the ability in design to seamlessly add on further thermal energy resources and services.
The CCH shall be installed at the ACES centre in Kigali, Rwanda. The CCH Phase 1 will provide pre-cooling and chilled storage of agricultural produce, freezing and storage for products and ice making. The supplier is responsible for delivery, installation and commissioning of the CCH. It should be noted that an insulated concrete base layer has already been laid and is not part of the supply.
Solutions that apply natural refrigerants or refrigerants with a GWP <150 will be given preference. The CCH will be powered by off-grid electricity, p e.g. solar PV. Means to power the CCH are part of the supply. If solar PV is the suggested option, the panels should provide shading for the CCH. The capacity of the system and energy storage shall be matched and oversized by 50% (due to the ambition to add additional resources in the future) to the equipment offered to allow cooling to be maintained overnight and possibly reduced operation on overcast/ rainy days.
The CCH will be capable of precooling up to 3 tonnes of produce per day from ambient temperature to the food storage temperature (between 5 and 12°C). This may be in multiple batches. The hub will have chilled storage for up to 12 pallets of produce in 2 separate temperature zones. A method to store cooling thermally shall be provided.
It is accepted that during periods of peak rapid cooling that no cooling may be available for maintaining storage temperatures. It is believed that any deviations due to this will be short lived and will not affect overall product quality.
The CCH shall have an additional zone for freezing and storage of frozen product at -25°C. We expect that the zone shall be capable of freezing 30 kg of product (assumed to be water for calculations) per day.
The ability to reclaim heat from the CCH refrigeration systems shall be provided. This could encompass just the chilled refrigeration system or the chilled and frozen refrigeration systems. The reclaimed heat shall be used to heat water for washing. Solutions that apply local materials to the thermal store will be prioritised.
Additionally, as part of the CCH an in-field cooler is being developed. The in-field cooler uses ice cubes to partially precool produce before it reaches the CCH. An ice cube maker with a capacity of 100 kg of ice per day shall be provided. The electrical load for the ice cube maker shall be allowed for in the overall CCH energy system capacity.
Event Details
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