Aggreko gets skates on for Ice Rink Canary Wharf

Runwild Events has re-appointed rental power and temperature control specialist Aggreko to light up Luminocity @ Ice Rink Canary Wharf, and ensure that the ‘real’ ice remains in peak condition no matter what the outside temperature.

Aggreko is powering the ice rink’s spectacular new light experience, which displays 16 million different colours every session from 8km of LED lights laid beneath the ice. There is also a suspended lighting system to provide a fully adjustable ambient experience above the skaters’ heads. Once again, Aggreko is also providing heat pump chillers to maintain good quality ice and provide heating for the bar, lounge and skate exchange areas.

The ice rink, located in the heart of Docklands, London, at Canada Square Park, is open until 25 February 2016, with 11 skating sessions a day. It is fully covered by a clear roof to guarantee skating sessions whatever the weather.

“Last year’s mild autumn weather made it difficult to maintain pristine ice surfaces on temporary ice rinks around the country, though we’re happy to report that very few problems occurred at Aggreko-supported projects. This was a testament to our design, equipment technology and experience within the sector”, said Graham Dames, Aggreko’s Sales Manager for Event Services Northern Europe.

“Despite ambient temperatures reaching 17°C last winter, we helped avoid rink closures by providing well designed and reliable turnkey chiller and power packages. We are delighted to be in a position to support the Canary Wharf ice rink again. It will have a very different look this year, with a covered structure and the additional spectacular light experience.”

Aggreko has supported the Canary Wharf ice rink installation for a number of years. As well as maintaining reliable power, cooling and heating to match varying ambient temperatures, the company has adapted its technical specifications to meet tight space and weight restrictions. Despite the significant size of the ice rink, space for the temperature control and primary power equipment is at a premium, so it’s critical to design a compact technical plan for the prestigious site.

Ian Moynes Operations Manager for Runwild Events, said: “We pride ourselves on the quality of the experiences we offer our clients and so choosing the right supplier to achieve our goal is a priority. Aggreko’s proven experience with ice rinks, technical knowledge and equipment make them the perfect partner for this project.”

He continued: “As well as Aggreko’s excellent work centred around the chilling equipment required for delivery of the ice pad, the team was also tasked with assisting Runwild with the electrical installation. This year Runwild has again pushed the festive ice rink season to another level with the installation of a complex and vast LED theme within the ice, suspended from the rink roof cover and also within the radical on-site bar.

“Aggreko and the on-site team installed a truss system for the roof suspended LED system and worked closely with the Runwild LED teams to ensure a smooth and efficient install was achieved for this unique project.

The team was always happy to help and, as always, were a pleasure to deal with – proving again to be the perfect partner for our venue.”

Aggreko has supplied five 250kW heat pump chillers to provide both cooling and heating. Fan coil units, linked to the heat pump chiller technology are placed in the bar, lounge and skate exchange areas to keep the skaters and visitors warm. The heating mode of the chillers will also be used to melt the rink during take down, thereby saving on the need to bring in additional equipment to melt the rink after the event.

Aggreko is also providing full turnkey power and lighting for the project, installing perimeter rink lighting, internal structure lighting, a PA system and all other cabling and power outlets as required across the event site. Aggreko has also supplied a complete truss solution to provide the suspension point for the aerial Luminocity LED lighting, working closely with Runwild to ensure the power requirements for the overall system has been satisfied.

Aggreko has wide experience in supporting ‘real ice’ temporary ice rinks across the globe. The Aggreko team’s previous experience of the Canary Wharf site means they can design and provide the right technical package to meet the new brief and spectacular lighting requirements of Luminocity @ Ice Rink Canary Wharf.

Further information: www.aggreko.co.uk