474,000 sq ft cold storage facility completed for Magnavale

McLaren Construction Midlands and North has completed a 474,283 sq ft cold storage facility for Magnavale, a provider of temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics services.

Located near Grantham, the fully automated, rack-clad cold store stands at 47 metres tall and has capacity for 101,000 pallets.

It has been designed to support Magnavale’s ambition to create Europe’s most efficient cold storage facility, operating at a standard temperature of -20°C and capable of reaching -28°C.

The facility is the largest of its kind in the UK and runs entirely on renewable energy, highlighting Magnavale’s focus on sustainability.

It also includes a five-storey office block, external yards, a HGV marshalling area and a staff car park.

Gary Cramp, managing director of McLaren Construction Midlands and North said: “Delivering this project has been a remarkable achievement, showcasing McLaren’s expertise in managing large-scale, complex construction projects. This facility not only advances the UK’s cold storage infrastructure but also exemplifies our focus on sustainable and innovative building practices.”

Previously home to an iron ore drift mine, the site required extensive demolition and controlled waste removal.

The team also had to divert and reinstall multiple utilities across the site, while maintaining uninterrupted 24/7 access to an adjacent McCain food production facility and an existing cold store and water treatment plant.

Due to limited space, an external gantry system was introduced to house certain services above ground rather than underground.

A contractor-designed steel fibre slab eliminated the need for over 20 steel fixers, and an on-site gas generator was refurbished to provide 1.45MW of power.

An on-site concrete batching plant was also installed to mitigate potential delivery delays during large-scale pours.