Situation

Royal FloraHolland is the leading international cooperative and marketplace for ornamental horticulture. It connects approximately 3,000 members and 2,400 buyers from both domestic and international markets, resulting in about 100,000 transactions per day.

After a thorough inspection, it was determined that the cooling system at the Naaldwijk location required major maintenance. The 1.6-kilometer-long cooling system contains 11,000 kilograms of coolant and provides cooling to 30,000 m² of cooling cells, which accounts for approximately 75% of Royal FloraHolland’s cooling cells. Therefore, a key requirement for the project was that trade could continue during the major maintenance.

​Solution

For the major maintenance, it was necessary to take the existing cooling system out of operation. Therefore, a construction site and a temporary cooling facility in containers were set up elsewhere on the premises. KH Engineering ensured that the flowers and plants were stored in the cooling cells under the same conditions.

During the work, temporary scaffolding and piping were installed, and walkways and new passages were created. Wooden barriers were placed against the scaffolding to inform Royal FloraHolland employees about the work. There were also site and road closures and alternative routes due to the temporary cooling facility setup. KH Engineering, together with Royal FloraHolland’s communication department, ensured timely notifications and signage on site.

KH Engineering first tested the temporary cooling facility, cooling with glycol. Once that worked, the existing cooling system, including valves, shut-offs, and other equipment, was cleaned and dismantled. Due to the project’s complexity, KH Engineering conducted HAZOP studies to identify hazards during the emptying of the existing installation and the installation of the temporary system. The extensive piping system has many connections, valves, and other equipment. This was cleaned with air, followed by an extra check with nitrogen to ensure everything was clean.

On KH Engineering’s advice, Royal FloraHolland decided to optimize the existing cooling system immediately. By creating several extra connections, different sections were formed in the cooling system, which can be maintained and shut down separately.