Sleepbreeze launches new product to cool troops at Camp Bastion
Where: DVD Millbrook, Concpet 5, OR52 - Infreg stand
What: Photo opportunity - Launch of Sleepbreeze military cot cooler.
When: 22-24th June 2010
Immediate release
Sleepbreeze Ltd is proud to be launching its new low-energy cooling product at DVD Millbrook – the MoD sponsored defence exhibition. Destined for the military market the cooler has been developed by Sleepbreeze Ltd to help MoD tackle the enormous engineering, logistic, security and cost of keeping our troops cool in the heat of Afghanistan.
100,000 litres of fuel are used at Camp Bastion each day at a cost of £35M per annum. Air conditioning the sleeping accommodation for the 10,000 troops at Camp Bastion accounts for some 25% of all fuel used. The reinforcement of Bastion with a further 10,000 US troops is likely to increase costs to the hard-pressed UK Exchequer to £70M per annum.
Attacks on fuel convoys account for a significant number of British casualties and fatalities.
MoD recognises the extreme urgency of understanding, trialing and procuring energy efficiency technologies that can deliver fuel savings, save lives and even deliver against Carbon saving targets.
Despite the restrictions on public spending Sleepbreeze Ltd believes that HM Treasury may still be open to investing in procurements which deliver energy and cost savings. The product that we have designed for MoD is costed at £50 per soldier and likely to pay for itself within weeks of entering service. MoD has previously set a target of 2 years to recover similar investments.
Sleepbreeze Ltd's new cooling product, which fits direct to the military cots used at Camp Bastion also has applications for Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) and Patrol Bases (PBs). The Sleepbreeze cooler works in concert with air conditioning systems, reducing the degree to which air needs to be chilled – which accounts for the vast bulk of energy used.
Where there is no possibility of air conditioning, such as at FOBs and PBs, the Sleepbreeze delivers a degree of thermal comfort to troops which would otherwise be impossible. Troops who have obtained their own Sleepbreezes have described it as a “God send”.
MoD is keen to undertake trials which were postponed earlier in the year due to the British General Election. We are hopeful that these may be re-scheduled for later in the 2010 with the product entering service by April 2011.
Notes to Editors:
Sleepbreeze Ltd is a family-owned firm which developed its range of products without any injection of investment from the public purse.
We manufacture our products in Great Britain and are a major supporter of the “British Made for Quality” campaign.