The brewery was looking for a way to install a flexible cold storage solution that would keep the kegs of beer and raw products cold and fresh within its craft beer pilot plant. It needed to maintain specific temperatures to guarantee product consistency, while coping with a high ambient temperature caused by the central location of the pilot plant within the manufacturing facility. ICS Cool Energy was able to tick all the boxes, customizing a 20-foot refrigerated container unit as part of its cold store hire solutions.
Originally designed for global - often in high ambient temperatures - marine transport of temperature sensitive perishables, the cold store solution provides accurate and stable storage temperatures. At the brewery, the unit’s temperature was set at down to - 21°C to ensure the raw material and ingredients used in the brewery processes of the special craft beers were kept at the optimum conditions before they are used. Additionally, as the portable container was designed to be put on and off ships, it gave the brewery the flexibility to move it around with the lift and shift as needed.
Following that project, the brewery was looking for a way to remove the ammonia (NH3) refrigerated chillers from its site. Further investments required to maintain the old system exceeded the financial and safety benefits of installing a new and more efficient one. ICS Cool Energy was again able to provide a hire solution that met its process cooling needs and combined safety, high efficiency and performance with low environmental impact.
Initially, the brewery was looking for localised chillers for every part of the brewing process. After analysing the options, the ICS Cool Energy team offered a more efficient solution that mimicked the old ammonia system. ICS Cool Energy installed three large 1.4MW chillers in the same area where the ammonia was originally installed, which enabled engineers to tap the new chillers into the existing pipework and power infrastructure. The new feature a variable-volume index compressor and permanent magnet motor that allow the equipment to operate at the most appropriate pressure ratio.
For low environmental impact, the units feature the R-1234ze refrigerant, which has a global warming potential (GWP) of only 7. In chillers, it can outperform ammonia by 25% according to the energy efficiency ratio (EER) analysis. R-1234ze is mildly flammable and non-corrosive in comparison to ammonia, which is toxic and can pose serious risks to human health and food and beverage operations.