Heat recovery keeps butter cool 

UK: An SCM Frigo SEC-200 heat recovery unit is transforming the cooling performance of a Gloucestershire farm producing artisan butter.

As part of the upgrade of cooling equipment for the butter preparation room, Forest-of-Dean-based Severn Cooling was asked to explore alternatives to replace an existing heat recovery system which had experienced issues with water-side freezing as it recovered heat to generate hot water. 

The SEC-200 unit was presented as a solution which demonstrated potential savings in energy use, the ability to help reduce the factories carbon footprint and the prospect of a short ROI all appealed to the end user.

A further incentive was SEC’s ability to maintain hot water production when the cooling system was satisfied and in a thermostat off condition, with high hot water demands for wash down and other processes. The increase in hot water capacity and a stable supply were viewed as significant benefits.

FridgeHub, Beijer Ref’s specialist refrigeration equipment service, worked with service and maintenance provider Severn Cooling & Electrical, and led by Beijer Ref’s FridgeTech internal team of dedicated product specialists and application engineers.

The unit was installed to recover heat from a system comprising a Danfoss Optyma Slim condensing unit and a compact stainless steel Modine evaporator, with all equipment supplied by the FridgeDIRECT team. The system, operating on refrigerant R449A, maintains the temperature in the preparation room at a constant 14°C.

A family business since 1936, Netherend Farm branched out into producing butter in 1990 and now supplies some of the top hotels and restaurants in the UK. It also exports as far afield and South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as supplying the world-famous Orient Express train service.