Star Refrigeration Works Through Pandemic in U.K. to ‘Help Feed the Nation’

Star Refrigeration, a Glasgow, U.K. based industrial refrigeration company, is continuing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to manufacture and install new refrigeration equipment “to meet the demand for increased capacity and help feed the nation.”

As the U.K.’s largest refrigeration engineering company – with a focus on ammonia and CO2 systems for industrial applications – Star’s work is vital to keeping food production and the industrial sector going, it says on its website.

Production has continued throughout the U.K. lockdown at Star’s manufacturing facilities in Thornliebank and Westway, where shifts are currently operating “around the clock, five days a week,” Star says.

Star referenced an open letter to manufacturers from Alok Sharma, a member of Parliament and the U.K. Secretary of State for Business, Energy &Industrial Strategy. He emphasized that “manufacturing is critical to the UK economy, with no restriction to its continuation under current rules.”

Thus, Star Refrigeration have redoubled efforts to assist essential industries and support supply chains. “Star is continuing to manufacture and install new refrigeration equipment to meet the demand for increased capacity and help feed the nation.”

“We are supporting essential industries by continuing to manufacture and install new refrigeration plant, to bring much needed additional capacity,” said Lewis Brown, Star’s Contracts Director.

Brown also said that Star was “continuing installation work to improve the reliability of existing refrigeration equipment at customer facilities. This will help to ensure temperature compliance as we approach the summer months, providing the cold chain and other key industries with greater resilience.”

While Star Refrigeration is continuing to work for its clients, it is also taking due account of worker and customer safety. Since early March it has “instigated a strict COVID-19 health and safety plan.” Brown said that “[a]ll manufacturing and installation work is being carried out in line with government guidelines surrounding COVID-19. The health and safety of our staff, site personnel and the wider community is our top priority.”

Offering systems that employ ammonia, CO₂ or ammonia/CO₂, Star serves various industries, including temperature-controlled storage, food and drink processing, pharmaceutical, HVAC and leisure. The company specializes in the design, manufacture and installation of chiller packages, including low-charge ammonia units.