25 September 2024
Congratulations to Hoctor Refrigeration for winning the award for Outstanding Electrification Project in our inaugural Australian Renewable Heat Awards.
The Awards will recognise the innovative work out there which is leading the transition to renewable heat and setting the benchmarks for projects that follow.
Learn more about Hoctor's winning project below.
Hoctor Refrigeration - Industrial Ammonia Heat Pump Project
Industry sector: meat processing
Location: Kyneton, Victoria
Completed: May 2023
Project partners:
Project summary:
This project and installation is part of decarbonisation and energy saving efforts at the Hardwicks Meats processing site, which is a owned by Kilcoy Global Foods.
The aim of the project was to recover and utilise low grade heat from the plant’s existing ammonia refrigeration system to significantly reduce natural gas used to generate process hot water at the site. The project involved the integration of a high-lift ammonia heat pump retrofitted to the existing high stage condensing circuit of the two-stage ammonia refrigeration system. This heat pump elevates the temperature of the incoming cold water supply to then provide hot water to two thermal storage tanks for subsequent use in the process hot water streams. Heat also recovered from existing refrigeration compressor’s oil cooling circuit to further supplement process hot water thermal demand.
The heating challenge the project addressed:
The main challenge of this project was that it was the first of its kind in Australia. With no other local projects to reference or draw on, extensive R&D time was spent internally to come up with the design. Subsequently, this required additional work with our equipment supply chain and contract electrician. Other main challenges are programming and ensuring that the system operates optimally and responsive to demand. Also it was critical to understand overall system requirement on water side - i.e., usage pattern and integration to existing refrigeration system to ensure zero disruption with the aim of reducing carbon emissions from the existing boiler usage.
Please detail the technologies implemented/upgraded and any technologies which were replaced:
The equipment/technologies implemented as part of this project included:
Mycom high pressure reciprocating compressor
Vahterus multi condenser
Re-application of an existing Alfa Laval heat exchanger in this new application.
All above equipment was the first to be used in Australia and for this application.
Please detail the results which have been delivered by this project:
This combined heat pump and heat recovery project has resulted in on-site natural gas usage reduced by 27,000 GJ annually.
Net emission reductions after factoring the increase of electricity usage are around 885 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Other benefits with installation of this heat pump are:
Reduced condenser load on existing central ammonia system i.e. improving condenser energy usage on the condenser.
The surplus condensing capacity available can be utilised in future expansions to possibly eliminate the need to install an additional condenser
Reduction in water evaporation in condenser expected savings of 8,600 kL per year.
Please detail any special innovations included in the project which make it cutting edge:
The design and implementation of the project was challenging. For the heat pump system designed by Hoctor, multiple new pieces of equipment were being used for the first time in Australia as well as using existing equipment in new application, which presents a risk. Understanding the overall system is paramount along with optimising its control operations. So far, the system and new technology put in place has been operating successfully.
Please list any federal or state funding which supported this project:
This project benefited from prefeasibility and feasibility study support, which was managed by A2EP. The studies assessed the application for heat pump on site and to explore the technologies.
Following this, the project receive funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for the installation of the heat pump and a power upgrade which was required.