MONTERREY, Mexico & HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viking Cold Solutions, the leading Thermal Energy Storage (TES) provider for the low-temperature cold storage industry, announced its partnership with Red de Frios to manage energy usage in one of its 2,500 square foot frozen food warehouses at Almacén Ruíz Cortines in Monterrey, Mexico. Viking Cold’s patented TES system reduces overall electricity consumption and shifts energy usage to less expensive periods of the day. This project is the first of its kind in Mexico, the second largest economy in Latin America, and marks the first installation of Viking Cold Solutions’ technology in Latin America outside of the Caribbean.
Viking Cold’s system was configured to operate specifically for Red de Frios’ utility rate structure and facility requirements. During the months of July, August, and September, some of the warmest months of the year, Red de Frios has seen a 20% reduction in energy consumption due to the TES system’s added efficiency. Additionally, during daily periods of high energy costs when refrigeration equipment is cycled off, Red de Frios has seen a slower increase in temperatures and greater temperature stability.
“Mexico’s cold storage industry is challenged by high peak period energy prices, which can represent up to 70 percent of a cold storage providers’ operational costs,” said James Bell, CEO of Viking Cold Solutions. “This makes a meaningful business impact when industrial energy prices are already 25 percent higher than those of their American competitors. With our thermal energy storage technology, Viking Cold helps companies like Red de Frios reduce energy costs and better protect the quality of the food they store.”
The Viking Cold TES systems provide operators the flexibility to adjust their operations to respond to utility tariff changes over time while improving temperature stability.
“Managing our electricity usage and maintaining the temperature requirements of our customers is a challenge with increasing energy costs and changing time-of-use rate structures. We are constantly looking for ways to reduce power consumption and add flexibility, which is exactly what Viking Cold’s TES system does,” said Arturo Martinez, President and CEO of Red de Frios. “Now we can choose when to purchase power while maintaining our temperatures. With this success, we plan to expand TES technology into other locations.”
About Viking Cold Solutions
Viking Cold Solutions is the leading thermal energy storage provider to the energy-intensive frozen/low-temperature cold storage industry. Viking Cold delivers cost-effective and flexible long-term energy management services and helps reduce environmental impacts. Its patented Thermal Energy Storage with phase change material (PCM), intelligent controls, and 24/7 cloud-based monitoring, allows Viking Cold to reduce cold storage energy costs by up to 35 percent or more while improving temperature stability and maximizing refrigeration efficiencies.
Viking Cold Solutions’ TES systems have been tested and accepted by energy utilities across the U.S. and are currently used in grocery stores, low-temperature warehouses, and government freezers around the world.
For additional information, please visit www.vikingcold.com.
About Red de Frios
Red de Frios is a 100% Mexican company dedicated to the storage, conservation, and distribution of frozen, refrigerated, and dried products. For 28 years, we have been serving mainly the national and international food industry, providing security in the preservation and innocuousness of their products as well as the distribution services they require. We currently have 3 storage centers; two located in Monterrey, NL and one more in Guadalajara, JA. With 92,000m³ of storage chambers and a fleet of more than 30 units, we cover the storage and distribution needs of national and international food producers, restaurant franchises, and producers and marketers of fishery products, etc.