Heatwaves drive demand surge for industrial chiller hire
Growing demand for frozen goods on the back of recent heatwaves in the UK and Europe is seeing retailers under pressure to ramp up cooling contingencies due to the adverse conditions.
Recent extreme weather has led to a rise in enquiries for industrial chiller hire, according to Aggreko, the supplier of temporary energy and temperature control solutions.
The claims follow the recent publication of an open letter to retailers from independent food retailer Nisa. The company claimed that the recent heatwave had caused unprecedented demand for frozen produce. As a result, the supplier would be prioritising frozen products on promotion and ice cubes to keep up, it said.
Just weeks earlier, Booker Retail Partners (BRP), wholesale supplier to retailers under the Budgens and Londis brands, was forced to pause its frozen deliveries for three days out of concern for the preservation of frozen goods in the high temperatures of July.
Matt Watson, temperature control specialist at Aggreko, said: “We have observed a spike in demand for industrial cooling applications, as suppliers attempt to bolster their cold chain against the hot weather. However, it is important to recognise that this is not a short-term issue – temperatures are continuing to rise year-on-year.”
He called for companies in the cold chain to put contingency measures in place to avoid downtime and disruption.
He said: “The disruptions to major retailers such as Nisa and BRP remind us that no one is immune to this challenge, and they will only become more frequent. As such, it is critical that the cold chain is strengthened in order to deal with the demands of an increasingly hot climate.”
Recent research from the Met Office has indicated that climate change is causing episodes of extreme heat to become far more intense and widespread than previous heatwaves.
Mr Watson said: “As temperatures continue to rise, having contingency solutions in place is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Doing so will lead to increased resilience for the cold chain and keep temperature-related disruption to a minimum. In turn, this will ensure that businesses are able to remain profitable well into the summer months.”