How Grace Built a 150kW Container Kitchen for OK Tedi Mining — Case Study (2026)

When a major mining operation requires continuous catering for hundreds of workers in a remote location with no local infrastructure, the margin for error is zero. This is the story of how Grace Kitchen Equipment designed, built, and delivered a 150 kW containerised kitchen system for OK Tedi Mining in Papua New Guinea — one of the most logistically complex commercial kitchen projects in Grace’s 20-year history.

Project Background: Feeding a Mining Camp in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea

OK Tedi Mining Limited operates one of the largest copper and gold mines in the world, located near Tabubil in the remote Star Mountains of Papua New Guinea. The mine site sits at over 800 metres elevation, accessible only by light aircraft and a single mountain road. The camp serves over 400 workers across multiple shifts, requiring three hot meals per day, 365 days a year, regardless of weather or supply chain disruptions.

When the client’s existing kitchen infrastructure reached end of life in 2023, the project management team evaluated two options: rebuild a permanent structure or deploy a containerised kitchen that could be installed quickly, operated reliably in a remote environment, and relocated if needed. They chose the container kitchen approach and contacted Grace Kitchen Equipment based on a recommendation from a contractor who had worked with Grace on a similar project in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Design Challenge: 150 kW in a Remote, High-Humidity Environment

The engineering brief was demanding:

• Feed 400+ people per shift, three meals per day
• Operate in 28–35°C ambient temperature with 80–95% relative humidity
• Total connected power load not to exceed 150 kW (generator constraint)
• All equipment must fit in standard 40HC (high-cube) containers for air freight and road transport
• Installation to be completed within 21 days by a team of 4 technicians
• 5-year parts availability guarantee required

Grace’s engineering team in Guangzhou spent two weeks on load calculations and layout optimisation. The final design used three 40HC containers arranged in an L-configuration: one cooking container, one cold storage container, and one washing/prep container.

Container 1: The Cooking Module

The 12-metre cooking container was the most complex module, integrating:

• 2× Commercial combi ovens (GN 1/1, 20-tray): 21 kW each; used for roasting, steaming, and regeneration of pre-cooked items. Connected load management ensures both ovens never simultaneously peak.
• 1× Heavy-duty gas range (8-burner, LPG): The site had a reliable LPG supply via ISO tank, so the primary cooking line used gas to reduce electrical load. Stainless steel with cast iron grates, rated for continuous operation.
• 1× Commercial bratt pan (200L electric tilt): 15 kW; ideal for stews, curries, and rice at the scale required. The tilt mechanism is essential when serving hundreds of portions.
• 1× Commercial rice cooker (60L automatic): 3.5 kW; produces consistent rice without monitoring — critical in a high-turnover camp kitchen.
• 1× Commercial deep fryer (twin-tank, 40L each): 12 kW; used for breakfast items and fried snacks at peak demand periods.
• 1× Salamander/overhead broiler: 4 kW; finishing steaks, melting cheese, and browning dishes to order.
• Exhaust hood system: Custom 4.5m canopy with double-skin stainless steel plenum, Halton-style baffle filters, and 2× 1,500 m³/h extraction fans. Total extraction 3,000 m³/h. A makeup air supply panel with pre-filter balanced the kitchen’s air pressure.
• Work surfaces and storage: 6m of 304 stainless steel work tables with undershelf storage, pot rack, and a dedicated spice/condiment station.

Total cooking container connected load: 82 kW (gas range reduces electrical demand significantly)

Container 2: Cold Storage Module

In a remote mining camp, cold chain integrity is everything. A single refrigeration failure can mean a food safety crisis with no local resupply possible. The cold storage container was engineered with redundancy at every level:

• Walk-in refrigerator (15 m³): Operating at 2–5°C; holds 5-day supply of fresh proteins, dairy, and produce. R404A refrigeration unit with EC fan motor. Secondary low-temperature alarm wired to site SCADA system.
• Walk-in freezer (10 m³): Operating at -18°C to -22°C; holds 10-day frozen meat and seafood supply. Dual-compressor configuration — one running, one standby, automatic switchover on fault.
• 2× Upright reach-in refrigerators (1,400L each): For thawed proteins and daily prep ingredients. Located at the pass between cold storage and cooking containers.
• 1× Commercial blast chiller (10-tray): Critical for food safety: hot cooked food is blast-chilled to 3°C within 90 minutes before storage, complying with HACCP protocols.
• Dry goods storage section: Non-refrigerated end of the container, 4m with heavy-duty racking, pest-proof construction, and temperature monitoring.

Total cold storage container connected load: 28 kW (walk-in compressors never run simultaneously at full power)

Container 3: Prep and Wash Module

The third container handled all food preparation and post-service cleaning:

• 1× Commercial hood-type dishwasher: Wash cycle 120 seconds, 500 baskets/hour capacity; 9 kW; capable of handling the full service volume in 2 hours
• 1× Commercial undercounter glasswasher: For smaller items and drinking vessels
• 1× Commercial food processor with attachment kit: 3 kW; bulk vegetable prep for a crew of 400
• 1× Commercial meat slicer (350mm blade): For cold cuts and charcuterie service
• Triple sink with drainer: 1,800mm stainless steel, for hand-wash, vegetable wash, and equipment rinse compliance
• Pre-rinse spray unit with wall-mounted booster
• Separate hand wash station with sensor tap, soap dispenser, and paper towel holder
• Hot water system: 1× 100L commercial electric water heater dedicated to dishwash circuit; 1× 80L unit for prep sinks

Total prep/wash container connected load: 22 kW

Mechanical and Electrical Integration

All three containers were pre-wired at the Grace factory in Guangzhou. Electrical panels, junction boxes, and inter-container cable trays were installed and tested before shipping. This reduced on-site electrical work to cross-container connections and final commissioning — a major factor in meeting the 21-day installation target.

The site’s 150 kW generator supplies a 400V/3-phase/50Hz distribution board. Grace’s team designed the load schedule to ensure peak demand stays below 140 kW, leaving 10 kW headroom for site lighting and emergency circuits.

Water supply connected to the site’s treated water main, with a 2,000L stainless steel buffer tank inside the wash container providing 4 hours of operational autonomy during maintenance shutdowns.

Shipping and Logistics

The three containers were loaded at Guangzhou port and shipped to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. From Port Moresby, they were transported by truck to the Tabubil staging area, then relocated to the mine site by heavy lift equipment. Total transit time: 32 days port-to-port, 6 days in-country logistics.

All containers were sealed with desiccant bags and monitored with temperature/humidity data loggers throughout transit — standard practice for tropical route shipments where condensation can cause corrosion issues.

Installation and Commissioning

Grace sent a 4-person installation team to the site. Working alongside OK Tedi’s facilities crew, the installation was completed in 19 days — 2 days ahead of schedule. Key milestones:

• Days 1–3: Container positioning, levelling, and structural interconnection
• Days 4–8: Electrical cross-connections, generator integration testing, load balancing
• Days 9–12: Plumbing, hot water commissioning, drainage connections
• Days 13–16: Equipment commissioning — combi ovens, cold rooms, dishwasher calibration
• Days 17–19: Full production trial (cooking for 50 staff), snagging, and handover training

The client’s kitchen supervisor and two senior cooks received a full-day training session covering equipment operation, daily cleaning schedules, and fault-finding procedures for common issues. Grace also provided a parts manual with QR codes linked to video guides for each major appliance.

Performance After 18 Months of Operation

As of early 2026, the OK Tedi container kitchen has been in continuous operation for 18 months. Key performance indicators reported by the client:

• Average peak electrical draw: 127 kW (well within the 150 kW generator limit)
• Walk-in freezer uptime: 99.3% (one compressor switchover event in 18 months)
• Combi oven service calls: Zero (both units have required only routine filter cleaning)
• Dishwasher rinse cycle compliance: 100% (Thermolog records maintained for HACCP audit)
• Reported meals served: Over 650,000 across the 18-month period

The client has since inquired about a fourth container to expand cold storage capacity as the mine’s workforce grows.

What Made This Project Succeed

Projects of this complexity succeed or fail in the planning phase. Several decisions made early proved critical:

1. Hybrid gas/electric design kept total electrical load manageable without sacrificing cooking capacity
2. Factory pre-wiring eliminated the most time-consuming and error-prone on-site work
3. Redundant refrigeration on the freezer protected the client from a single-point-of-failure in a location where replacement parts could take 2 weeks to arrive
4. Grace’s 5-year parts commitment gave the client confidence that the investment would be supported for its full operational life
5. Detailed handover training in the local language (Tok Pisin translation provided for labelling) reduced operational errors in the first months

Plan Your Container Kitchen with Grace

Whether you are operating a mining camp, an oil and gas facility, a military base, or a large construction site, Grace Kitchen Equipment can design, build, and commission a containerised kitchen solution to your exact specifications — anywhere in the world.

• 📱 WhatsApp: +86 158 1364 3427
• 📧 Email: info@gracekitchen.com
• 🌐 Website: www.gracekitchenequip.com

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