I replaced the Grunert cold plate in my freezer with a Frigoboat evaporator coil. The Frigoboat uses a through-hull puck for the condenser, so there is no need for a pump, the compressor provides all the motive force to facilitate the circulation of the refrigerant (134a). It uses a 12V Danfoss compressor, the line sets are all pre-charged and the whole conversion can be a DIY project if you have the inclination and a skillset that you're comfortable with cutting holes and mounting the gear. Because the lines are pre-charged, the connections do not require specific refrigeration skills, only good mechanical skills in making up the connections.
IMO as a retired HVAC guy, the cold plate is archaic technology. The compressor section is HUGE compared to the Frigoboat, you must run a 115V ~15A hog for a few hours a day, there's a pump involved... now running the compressor may not be an issue depending on your generator use, but consider that the Frigoboat system only uses about 3-5A DC- it can easily be powered by solar and doesn't add a huge amp hour load on your house bank. Downside is it can't be run on the hard, it'll lunch the compressor. (I'm embarrassed that I forgot to turn mine off when the boat was hauled- it's an oversight you'll only pull once!) I just can't see investing in 30+ yr old equipment. If the compressor suffers a running burnout, having a spare won't be much help, since contaminants (read:acid) will be circulated throughout the system. Cleanup is costly, and most techs won't do it properly, but will instead install a dryer as a stop-gap to get their work past a warranty period. It'll work for a while until the acid does its damage on the replacement compressor and the rest of the system. If the plate leaks, eutectic in the refrigerant will trash the system. If the holding plate has any bulges, it's suspect. Even if you do replace the compressor and refrigerant conversion, it's a risky investment in equipment that is essentially at end-of-life.