NECS cold store – New Era Cold Storage JSC, Tay Ninh

Tan Long is the industrial refrigeration contractor for the project NECS – New Era Cold Storage in Phu An Thanh Industrial Park, Ben Luc, Tay Ninh Province (formerly Long An), delivered across three phases from 2024 to 2026. The facility has a total capacity of 102,642 pallet positions, a total refrigeration capacity of approximately 3.05–3.08 MW, using NH3 refrigeration systems to serve a range of temperature levels from +5°C chill rooms down to -40°C deep freezing.

Project summary

About the NECS – New Era Cold Storage project

NECS – New Era Cold Storage is a large-scale cold storage and cold logistics project, developed across several phases at Phu An Thanh Industrial Park, Ben Luc, Tay Ninh Province (formerly Long An).

Tan Long is the industrial refrigeration contractor involved in the NECS project across several phases, covering the overall refrigeration system, the basement refrigeration system and the freezing system.

Through the NECS project, Tan Long delivered a full set of work packages together — refrigeration equipment, NH3 pipework, power and control electrics, and the control and monitoring systems, testing, commissioning and handover within the scope of each package.

Storage capacity across the phases

NECS is being developed in phases. The combined capacity of Phase 1 and Phase 2 reaches 102,642 pallet positions:

Refrigeration system scale by area

The refrigeration system at NECS serves several load groups across a range of temperature levels, from chill rooms and freezer rooms, the loading and dispatch area and the automated cold store (ASRS cold store), through to the deep-freezing tunnels:

Two-stage MYCOM compressor system

The NECS refrigeration system uses a set of screw compressor MYCOM compressors arranged across two pressure stages to serve the freezer store, chill store, ancillary areas and deep freezing at the same time. Some machines are fitted with inverters so capacity can be matched to the actual load.

The -40°C freezing system, 44,250 kg per batch

The deep-freezing system is designed for an evaporating temperature of Te = -40°C, serving 04 air blast freezing tunnels. Liquid is fed by pump, with a low-pressure receiver set and 02 NH3 pumps in a duty/standby configuration.

Air coolers and cooling load distribution

The system serves several different load groups: the freezer store, the chill store, the chilled corridors, the loading and dispatch area, the freezing tunnels and the glycol cooling system for the basement.

• The freezer store and the automated cold store (ASRS cold store) use industrial refrigeration rated at 125 kW each, at Te / Troom = -30°C / -23°C.
• The chill store uses air coolers of 45 – 55 kW each, at Te / Troom = -2°C / +5°C.
• The chilled corridors and the loading and dispatch handling area use 46 kW air coolers, at Te / Troom = -2°C / +5°C.
• Alongside the direct NH3 system, the project has a PHE glycol chiller of approximately 805 kW at Te = -8°C, with glycol supply and return temperatures of about 0°C / -5°C, feeding the FCUs in the basement area.

NH3 pipework and control valve system

The freezer store, chill store and freezing loads all use a pumped NH3 circulation system. Each set has a low-pressure receiver, liquid pumps, a liquid supply line and a gas or liquid return line back to the receiver. The pump configuration includes standby capacity so operation can continue during maintenance or equipment failure.

The valve and control equipment includes ICF, ICLX and ICS valve stations, stop valves, check valves, filters, safety valves, level sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors and NH3 leak detection devices. These serve to isolate equipment, regulate refrigerant, control liquid level and pressure, and protect the system.

The NH3 pipework uses seamless steel pipe. Lines of 40A and below use SCH80; larger sizes use SCH40. Runs that require insulation are given an insulation thickness matched to the operating temperature and the installation position.

Electrical, control and online monitoring systems

Tan Long delivered the power and control electrics for operating the refrigeration system, including control cabinet, measurement signals, and control of the compressors, pumps, valves and ancillary equipment within the scope of each package.

The system monitors key operating parameters such as pressure, temperature, liquid level and equipment status, and also receives alarm, protection and NH3 leak detection signals. The control solution was SCADA integration and operational monitoring for the cold store within the project scope, supporting online status monitoring and proactive alerts to mobile devices.

Equipment handed over by Tan Long

The phases Tan Long delivered at NECS

Why NECS chose NH3 as the refrigerant for this system

At a scale of 102,642 pallet positions and a temperature range running from +20°C down to -40°C on a single central plant, the efficiency gap between refrigerants becomes a significant difference in electricity cost every year. These are the specific engineering reasons for this facility:

• High efficiency at low evaporating temperatures. With freezing tunnels running at Te = -40°C, NH3 maintains a better efficiency coefficient than synthetic refrigerants under the same conditions.
• One central plant serving several temperature levels. The two-stage configuration allows a single machine room to serve the -23°C freezer store, the +5°C chill store and -40°C freezing, instead of splitting into several independent systems.
• Low top-up refrigerant cost. With a pumped circulation system and a large charge, this is a real difference over long-term operation.
• No ozone depletion and no direct greenhouse effect, which suits the requirements of cold chain logistics customers handling export goods.

In return, NH3 demands higher standards of pipework, safety valve systems and operating procedures. That is the part the contractor has to master.

What the NECS project demonstrates about Tan Long's capability

• Delivering a large-scale industrial NH3 refrigeration system with a total capacity of around 3 MW.
• A multi-temperature system, from +5°C chill rooms to -23°C freezer rooms and -40°C deep freezing, on a single central plant.
• Supply and installation of compressors, air coolers, condensers, liquid pumps, pressure vessels and control valves.
• Installation of the NH3 pipework and all ancillary systems.
• Power electrics, control cabinets, inverters, PLC and control programming.
• SCADA integration, online monitoring and alerts to mobile devices.
• Testing and commissioning, trial operation and handover across three consecutive phases.

Being entrusted by the client with new work packages three years running says more about capability than any description could.

Need advice on a similar system?

If your business needs a cold storage contractor at large scale or NH3 refrigeration systems across several temperature levels, please call 0933 357 058 (Mr. Thinh) or send a quotation request.

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