Making the most out of every kilowatt
Food and beverage manufacturers are under increasing pressure to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, due to strict new legal requirements and CO2 taxes, rising energy costs, and consumers’ growing demand for sustainable practices.
A holistic look at energy across your plant can often reveal ways to reduce both the emissions and costs associated with fossil fuel consumption. Meeting your targets comes down to having the right technology, products and solutions for optimising energy efficiency, and integrating these in the right way for food and beverage production.
Renewables: unlimited energy – unlimited savings
In regions with suitable climates, renewable sources like the sun can provide a virtually unlimited supply of free, reliable, and easily accessible clean energy. Two-thirds of energy consumption in a typical food and beverage plant is thermal energy (heat). Since most of that demand is in the form of low-to-medium heat needs, renewable solar thermal energy4 can offer an ideal solution.
Solar thermal collectors
Solar thermal collectors harness the sun’s energy to create a reliable source of heat energy. Solar radiation is collected, and the resulting heat is conveyed to a heat transfer fluid. In this way, solar thermal collectors are capable of delivering hot water and steam at temperatures up to 160° C. They can therefore be used to reduce reliance on fossil-fuel-generated heat in applications such as indirect UHT.
We have collaborated with solar thermal provider Absolicon, to offer a standardised solution for powering industrial equipment with renewable thermal energy. Working with you, we can integrate Absolicon’s scalable solar thermal module with current and new UHT lines, enabling a range of decarbonisation options.
Our UHT processing line for high-temperature sterilisation of dairy products is the first such solution offered together with a scalable solar thermal supply. The combination of technologies provides the potential to reduce fossil fuel usage by up to 40%5.
Notes:
1 A substantial portion of the energy used in food and beverage manufacturing comes from fossil fuels, primarily natural gas, according to the Food & Drink Federation’s “Achieving Net Zero: A Handbook For The Food And Drink Sector.
2 Calculations estimated for waste heat recovery using an industrial high-temperature heat pump and whey permeate evaporator in the cheese and powder category.
3 Solution considering Direct UHT Unit with 2 High Lift Heat pumps, applicable for temperatures up to 200C, 7 bar of steam, COPh Value ~2
4 Solar thermal energy is recognized as a renewable heat and energy source by the International Renewable Energy Agency. See: https://www.irena.org/Energy-Transition/Technology/Industry
5 Based on tests performed by Absolicon with Tetra Pak equipment in Southern Europe, replacing a fossil fuel-powered boiler with Absolicon solar thermal power modules.