Industrial Heat Pumps — Decarbonization Solutions for Global Sustainability

When a UK-based Nestlé plant wanted to reduce the environmental footprint of its heating and cooling systems, its goals were to increase energy efficiency and transition to a low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant without sacrificing reliability or performance. An industrial ammonia heat pump solution from Vilter checked all the boxes.

A fully farmer-owned business, Conestoga Meats has long prioritized sustainability in its business culture, demonstrated by its dedication to waste free production and investments in sustainable processing initiatives. In 2013, as part of a major infrastructure upgrade project at its Breslau facility, Conestoga Meats decided that a heat pump would be an important element of the refrigeration plant expansion.

To meet the need for 194 °F water for a new district heating system, the city of Drammen, Norway, turned to industrial heat pumps from Emerson to convert the frigid North Sea into a renewable energy source — and in turn, providing an efficient, sustainable heat source for local residents and businesses.

For years, Chile’s leading poultry processor relied on boilers to heat well water for their sanitation needs — allowing waste heat to be discharged to the environment. By capturing the waste heat with an innovative ammonia heat pump plant to heat the well water, they reduced heat energy costs by 72%.

While the Kraft Foods plant in Davenport, Iowa, had made significant investments in energy conservation, it still lacked the ability to capture rejected heat from its industrial refrigeration system to provide hot water for hygienic cleaning purposes. By installing an ammonia heat pump system utilizing Vilter™ single screw compressors, the plant now supplies 145 °F hot water and saves 14,000,000 gallons of water annually.