Teamwork spreads the load at jam factory
27th June 2025
UK: Teams from Beijer Ref recently joined with contractor Adcock Refrigeration and Air Conditioning to deliver an award-winning CO₂ plant installation for one of the UK’s best known jam manufacturers.
Wilkin & Sons has been producing quality jams and marmalades since 1885 and is perhaps best known for the Tiptree range of fruit preserves named after its Essex home.
The existing HFC-based screw pack system at the factory was showing its age, with persistent leaks resulting in excessive service and repair expenses. Urgently needing to build reliability into its freezer rooms, a temporary glycol-based system had been installed until a permanent solution was found.
Four existing systems, screw packs each delivering 30kW of capacity at -31°C SST, required replacement. Given the limited space available, the new plant needed to be installed outdoors and, as the system called for a large low temperature duty, the equipment footprint was identified as a potential issue. The design process considered several options for splitting the load between smaller units and larger packs, ultimately leading to a focus on a refrigerant that would future-proof the site.
It was important to create a resilient system by distributing the load efficiently across multiple units while also accounting for a high temperature tempering facility in a planned second phase of the project.
In what was a first CO₂ project for Adcock, the Cambridge-based contractor called on Beijer Ref UK and Ireland and its FridgeHUB team to supply and specify all equipment for the job. This also included onsite support during installation and commissioning and specialist training from the Beijer Ref Academy. There was further key input from Beijer Ref’s manufacturing subsidiary SCM Frigo.
The specified system comprised two SCM Frigo PNC-MWT 60kW LT CO₂ booster packs and two Güntner GACV CX 063.1JE 30kW evaporators for each pack.
The 60kW SCM LT Booster systems, with integrated gas cooler is said to have offered significant cost savings compared to utilising four smaller units. Although the loads on site are stable, each unit provides 28-100% capacity control. This, and the use of two identical packs, means the site can also manage any future low load conditions required. The LT compressors, with inverter on the lead, are cascaded to the HT compressors, again with inverter on the lead, where heat is rejected via the onboard gas cooler.
SCM also incorporated options for a glycol plate heat exchanger for the future tempering room, eliminating the need for subsequent additional infrastructure. This solution maximised the available space while future-proofing the installation against evolving client needs. The inclusion of specially coated fins on the gas cooler contribute to extending the lifecycle of the equipment.
Güntner GACV CX evaporators feature double-skinned drain pans and additional periphery heaters for the fans. The overall access provided by the design of the Vario coolers means that servicing the units, even at the high height of the units, is easier than most designs. The defrost design was also said to be an influencing factor.
Although the initial energy consumption was projected to be 5% higher compared to traditional systems, the integration of a plate heat exchanger for future tempering rooms ensured long-term energy efficiency gains.
“The FridgeHUB team gave us the confidence to proceed with our first CO₂ project and the technical support from SCM in the UK provided crucial back-up,” commented Adcock director Paul Parfitt. “Being able to attend the Beijer Ref Academy in Wetherby was a big plus point for us when deciding where to place our business.”
The installation was recognised as Refrigeration Project of the Year in the recent National ACR & HP Awards.
