Space reacts to heatwave by designing ambient refrigeration for 42°C

05 Nov 2026

The summer of 2026 will be remembered as a challenging time for food storage and distribution in the UK, with a record temperature of 37.7°C set in June. The sustained heatwaves prompted a long-standing customer of Space Engineering Services to request a future-proof refrigeration system, capable of operating reliably in ambient temperatures of up to 42°C.

As a key refrigeration plant supplier, the team at Space played a direct role in developing a new design concept to evolve alongside the changing climate.

Sam Clifford, design manager at Space Engineering Services, comments:

“We developed the technical specification to meet the requirements set by the customer. We then delivered the first production plant design, incorporating the necessary features to ensure reliable, resilient operation under demanding conditions.”

Key features of the new 42°C design include:

• Forced enclosure cooling
• Twin parallel compressors
• Optimised pipework design
• Dual combined gas cooler
• Optional gas-return sub-cooling
• Enhanced gas cooler design

Sam continues: “This project represents an important step forward in preparing refrigeration systems for increasingly extreme ambient conditions in the UK. It was a great example of our engineering team coming together to meet a tight deadline.

“The quick turnaround highlighted the technical capability of our design team. We worked in close collaboration with our partners to develop this innovation to meet the evolving demands of the refrigeration industry.

“With the trend of warmer summers set to continue; we expect both industrial and retail customers to be interested in having ambient capability of up to 42°C. This summer proved to be testing for the industry, and this technology can help to provide a buffer against acutely warm weather,” said Sam.

(Left to right – Paulie Taylor, Niall Evans, Daniel Collins, Billy O’Hare, Harry Braywood, Paul Hallett, Ethan Britton, Edmond Iniwan and Sam Clifford)