Power Factor Correction for Cold Storage in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Power Factor Company provides power factor correction for cold storage in Saudi Arabia, covering chilled and frozen warehouses, food factories, dairies and distribution centres. Panels are sized to compressor banks, evaporator fans and blast freezers, and built to survive plant-room heat and washdown conditions: 25–1,200 kVAr per panel, IP31–IP54 indoor enclosures, typically ready in 2–3 weeks.
What you receive: a written proposal showing capacitor rating, step layout, enclosure, standard, lead time and price, issued within one working day of your electricity bill and compressor list. Request a quotation
Why do refrigeration plants have low power factor?
Compressors are the main load, and a compressor is a large induction motor that runs for most of the day. Reciprocating and screw compressors often run partly loaded, so their power factor is low just when the bill is highest. Evaporator and condenser fans add many small motors to the same supply.
Load follows the weather and the product. Hot afternoons raise the condensing load, a new delivery of warm product raises the cooling load, and blast freezers switch in large blocks. Heaters for defrost are resistive and do not need correction, but they distort the total demand picture.
Capacitor bank for refrigeration compressors: how is it sized?
Sizing starts from the compressor motor list and the bill. Where a few large compressors run steadily, fixed banks at the motors do much of the work. Where compressors stage on and off with the load, an APFC panel with several steps keeps the total near target. Screw compressors on variable-speed drives need a detuned bank so the capacitors are protected.
A short note on starting: compressors on star-delta or soft starters should not have their capacitors switched through the starter, and we wire the banks so they do not. Utility tariff rules are set by SEC. Under the Saudi Electricity Company tariff: 0.90 is the minimum above 1 MVA contract load; we design to 0.95.
Power factor correction for cold storage: what we deliver
| Item | Range / specification | Standard | Typical lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic APFC panel at the plant incomer | To project specification (25–1,200 kVAr per panel) | IEC 61439-1/-2 | 2–3 weeks |
| Fixed bank for large compressor motors | Sized from motor kW and load profile | IEC 61921 | 1–2 weeks |
| Detuned panel for VFD compressors | Reactor tuning from harmonic data | IEC 61439-1/-2 | 3–4 weeks |
| Plant-room enclosure | Heat and humidity protection (IP31–IP54 indoor) | IP code to IEC 60529 | 2–3 weeks |
| Maintenance visit | Thermography, capacitance test and contactor check | Project scope | By agreement |
How is a cold storage project delivered?
- Enquiry. You send bills and the compressor, fan and freezer list.
- Site data. We confirm voltage, transformer rating and where the panel will stand away from wet areas.
- Design. We choose steps, enclosure and reactors, then issue drawings.
- Build. The panel is assembled in our Dammam workshops.
- Factory test. Switching and protection are tested, and the record is issued.
- Connection. We plan the tie-in around your refrigeration load, so product temperatures are not at risk.
- Commissioning. The controller is set and step behaviour is checked as compressors stage.
- Support. Spare parts and maintenance are available afterwards, including spare parts.
Who we supply in food and cold chain
Saudi Power Factor Company has worked in Saudi Arabia since 2010, and its quality, environmental and safety systems are certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.
We have worked on projects for Saudi Aramco, SABIC and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, in all regions of Saudi Arabia. Tell us your plant type and city in the quotation form, and we describe the scope closest to your cold store or food plant job.
We are available for cold stores, food factories and logistics hubs across Saudi Arabia, including the Eastern Province, Riyadh and Jeddah. We deliver to every region of the Kingdom. Jubail is about 1 hour from Dammam and Riyadh about 4 hours by road; Jeddah and Yanbu are reached by air or road. Read the wider power factor correction overview.
Cold storage power factor questions
Who provides power factor correction for cold storage in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Power Factor Company provides power factor correction for cold stores and food plants, with panels built in Dammam from ABB, Schneider Electric and Siemens components. We have been active in Saudi Arabia since 2010.
What affects the cost of correcting a cold store?
Cost comes from total kVAr, the number of steps, any reactors needed for compressor drives, the plant-room enclosure rating, and the testing and documents required. We price these from your bill and compressor list.
How long does a cold storage panel take to deliver?
Lead time depends on kVAr, steps, reactors and drawing approval, and our typical lead time is 2–3 weeks for an APFC panel and 3–4 weeks for a detuned bank. Connection is planned around your refrigeration duty, so the cold chain keeps running.
Can capacitors be switched with a compressor starter?
Not through a star-delta starter. Capacitors are connected on the supply side of the starter, or controlled by an automatic panel, so the compressor does not see them during start. We draw the connection on the single-line diagram for your approval.
Does a refrigeration plant still need correction in winter?
Yes, but the load changes. Condensing load falls in cooler months, so compressors run lighter and the controller removes steps. An automatic panel follows this seasonal change without any manual adjustment from your maintenance team.
What should I send for a cold storage quotation?
Send a month of electricity bills and a compressor list with kW, voltage and starting method. A plant-room photo and the transformer rating help us choose the panel position and enclosure.
Looking for power factor correction for cold storage? Send us your bill and the compressor list, and receive a quotation within one working day.
Email: inquiry@saudipowerfactor.com | Request a quotation