12 | South Canterbury: Silver Fern Farms - Pareora T T Richard Loader Heat pump puts coal on back burner REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Maize & Fodder Beet Precision Planting Chopping - Grass, Maize & Wholecrop Baling - Squares & Rounds - Balage, Hay, Straw Ag Work - Ploughing, Ripping, Direct & Roller Drilling Cartage - Feed Sales - Woodchip Bryce: 027 200 8871 www.sarahssolutions.co.nz "Best training on the planet!" Team Leader, Silver Fern Farms Pareora Solutions for your company through empowering your workforce. As a business, investing in the well-being of your employees is not only a moral responsibility, but it also makes good financial sense. By providing unique and effective training to improve personal, financial, and emotional health, you can create a positive and productive work environment that will ultimately lead to increased business success. sarah@sarahssolutions.co.nz Sarah Searle, Managing Partner T T Ramping up - page 14 With the support of $1 million from the Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry (GIDI) fund, Silver Fern Farm’s (SFF) Pareora meat processing facility south of Timaru has recently installed and commissioned a high temperature heat pump to preheat hot water used throughout its processing activities. Pareora’s heat pump is one of three SFF installations, which include the Finegand and Belfast sites and is part of Silver Fern Farms’ significant goal to reduce carbon emissions by 42% by the end of the decade. Costing $2.6 million, the high temperature heat pump was commissioned in July this year, and will shift heating load away from the existing coal boiler. The previous Minister of Energy and Resources, Dr Megan Woods, said that between the three sites the heat pumps’ implementation would result in a carbon reduction equivalent to 7000 fossil fuelled cars being taken off the road, explains Pareora Site Manager Bruce McNaught. “The heat pump is designed to recover about 300kw of heat from our refrigeration compressor oil cooling and a further 300kw from our direct ammonia condensing. It then uses that energy to heat our water up to about 62° Celsius. The heat pump system generates about 2,500 kilowatts of hot water when running and uses 40 kilowatts of electricity, giving it an efficiency of 550%. Pareora’s target is to reduce coal consumption by 2000 tonnes per year and we’re well on the way to achieving that target as a result of this project which was commissioned in July 2023. We’re now looking at getting rid of all our coal fuelled boilers and replacing them with two high temperature heat pumps, plus a small electrical boiler.” Bruce says the technology is not new, but the size, scale and complexity of the heat pump is significant and sits within its own two storey pre-cast concrete building. While construction work commenced June 2022, conceptual planning began in earnest two years prior. “Much of the success of the project rested on its planning and scope agreement, before we broke any ground. A lot of pipe bridges had to be built from the existing boiler room, right around the plant to get to the building that houses the heat pump itself. The heat pump had to be integrated into our aging legacy systems and fits in with our six-year plan which includes the construction of a brandnew fit for purpose engine room. The heat pump is a component of our modernisation programme.” While the main installation of the heat pump was carried out by HVAC specialist Revtech, with the support of Christchurch based ACIM Electrical who carried out a significant amount of the electrical work, Silver Fern Farm’s own on-site trades including electricians, engineers and engine room specialists were very heavily involved. “The on-site trades involvement in the project was absolutely critical and was a great example of a combined and united effort. There were a whole lot of moving parts to the project, and everyone shared the same ultimate goal. They have gained a deep understanding about how the complex technology operates, enabling them to resolve issues as they arise.” Bruce acknowledges that in line with any major and complex project there have been a number of teething challenges to resolve and learn from. But he says the project has been highly successful with energy targets being met. “We’re well on our way to our coal reduction targets. I am enormously proud of the project, those involved and what has been achieved. “Over the last three years we have seen significant investment put into modernising the various plants, including Pareora, bringing them up to the high standard of modern food processing facilities.” The heat pump system generates about 2,500 kilowatts of hot water when running and uses 40 kilowatts of electricity, giving it an efficiency of 550%.
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