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In December, the modern and sustainable new packaging facility for Noordhuys Tomatoes was completed at the Oostflakkee industrial park, located on the N57 in Oude-Tonge. The 8,000 m2 new building was commissioned by The Greenery with a focus on efficient product flow, smart design choices, and high energy efficiency. The goal was to achieve BREEAM Excellent certification. In addition, the residual heat from the cooling system must be utilized as efficiently as possible—challenges that Barth Installatietechniek is well-equipped to handle.
Barth Installatietechniek has many years of experience in the design and implementation of mechanical and electrical systems. Based in South Holland, this full-service installation contractor is a highly sought-after (construction team) partner in the (semi-)government, office, healthcare, education, commercial construction, and industrial sectors, and values long-term relationships with clients.
The project in Oude-Tonge got underway through a bidding process led by Van Vliet Bouwmanagement. Barth Installatietechniek’s experience with this type of project was particularly noteworthy. But so did its broad expertise, which allowed for the integrated installation of mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems. “A large portion of the packaging hall is climate-controlled to ensure high-quality storage and processing of all tomatoes,” explains Leco Douw, project manager at Barth Installatietechniek. “The cooling system was installed by Koning Koudetechniek and features a TSA heat exchanger for heat and cold transfer. We sustainably utilize the residual heat and cooling generated by this system to heat and cool both the production hall and the offices. The system generates valuable BREEAM credits, as do the water valves, kWh meters, and other technologies that reduce the building’s energy consumption.”
The climate control system for Noordhuys Tomatoes is entirely water-based, Douw explains. “While balanced ventilation units with heat recovery were chosen for the production hall from a BREEAM perspective, we used a combination of ventilation fan coil units and underfloor heating in the offices. The heat and cold distributors for this system were prefabricated under excellent working and environmental conditions at the SolidSKID workshop in ’s-Gravendeel, after which all prefabricated components were fully tested, ready for operation, and delivered well ahead of schedule to the construction site in Oude-Tonge. This allowed them to be connected easily, quickly, and by just a few technicians.”
With this approach, SolidSKID and Barth Installatietechniek are providing a robust solution to current construction challenges. Consider, for example, the shortage of skilled technical workers and the tight deadlines on construction sites, which also posed challenges in Oude-Tonge. “Thanks to the skids, installation can begin as early as the structural phase,” explains Douw. “Furthermore, the quality of the installations can be better guaranteed. Because the units are compact, only minimal transport is required, which benefits sustainability. Furthermore, the units will be easily interchangeable in the future.”
The skids were installed in the mechanical loft, where all the ductwork runs and where the fan coil units are also located. This was because there wasn’t enough space for them under the ceiling.
In addition to the HVAC systems, Barth Installatietechniek also installed the compressed air system and completed all the plumbing work. Furthermore, the company was responsible for the electrical installations. “We installed the system starting from the property line, from the purchasing/compact station to the main meter box,” says Douw. “What’s unique about this project is that no transmission capacity is available from the grid provider. That is why the client installed a gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) system. A third party also installed a PV system and battery storage, which are connected to the main distribution panel and supply power to our systems.”
