Tuesday, 11 February 2025
22.7 C
Durban

Nuts about energy saving and sustainability

Home Engineering HVAC Nuts about energy saving and sustainability

FOOD producer, Global Macadamia (recently rebranded to Marquis Macadamias), has built one of the largest macadamia curing and processing facilities in the world, located in the Alkmaar region of Mpumalanga.

Built in line with global industry standards in sustainable practices, this newly commissioned project houses a combined heating and cooling plant that sets a new benchmark for facilities of this kind in South Africa.

This is according to Dawie Kriel, Head of Business Development at EP Refrigeration, a division of Energy Partners and part of the PSG group of companies, who said the most unique feature of the plant was the sustainable measures it has implemented to cut energy consumption for both refrigeration and heating operations. “This innovation was an industry-first and will most definitely be adapted to inform future projects.”

Kriel said macadamia processing involves both heating and cooling, which is usually very energy-intensive. “Most processing plants have separate heating and cooling plants which are costly to run from an energy standpoint. These systems normally do not accommodate much heat storage required for the drying process and therefore do not maintain a constant temperature, particularly during the transition from day to night.”

Kriel added that the design of the facility itself provides a great advantage for maintaining a low energy consumption profile, as well as consistent temperatures. “The bins for processing the macadamias are constructed from concrete as opposed to the conventional steel option – this offered us a unique opportunity to use the inertial properties of the bins to provide passive heating and cooling control.

“Concrete loses and gains heat at a slow rate and as a result smaller quantities of additional energy sources are required to maintain the temperature in the building if the outside temperature changes. This steady temperature control is particularly advantageous for the curing operations of the plant.”

While one of the air handling units provides clean conditioned air for the processing and warehouse areas, the second unit provides a controlled atmosphere to the bulk storage room. The system simultaneously supplies 768 kW of heat to generate hot water at 57 ºC to the Curing/Drying area coolers and air-handling units, as well as hot water for domestic use. Energy Partners worked with world leading macadamia expert Dorran Bungay, who provided the design outline for this facility.

The South African macadamia industry is experiencing growth with high demand for export, which in turn contributes to the country’s economic development. Kriel said EP Refrigeration’s presence at Marquis Macadamias is also creating opportunities in the area.

“From a support perspective, our footprint has certainly grown in the Nelspruit region as a result of this mammoth project. As a result, we now have capacity to provide refrigeration and heating services to other food processing facilities operating in the area.”

Kriel believes the volume and value of macadamia’s being processed at this site alone has the potential to provide a much-needed economic boost to the area by acting as a catalyst for creating new opportunities for local businesses.

He said the facility is also setting the benchmark for sustainable heating and cooling solutions at food processing plants. “We are already involved in other projects that will benefit greatly from our learnings at this site. Ultimately, we hope to see many more operations in the food processing industry follow suit and reduce unnecessary energy expenditure through implementing more sustainable solutions.”

Most Popular

Manufacturing output ended 2024 on a weak note

MANUFACTURING output, not seasonally adjusted, declined by 1.2% y/y in December 2024, following an upwardly revised 1.9% y/y contraction (previously -2.6%) in November, writes...

Poor logistics constrain SA citrus industry

OUTGOING CEO of the Citrus Growers' Association of Southern Africa (CGA), Justin Chadwick, has called for urgent action at South Africa’s ports and rail...

UKZN collaborating to produce next-gen solar energy

SCIENTISTS from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) are collaborating on a R70 million research project to develop and manufacture sustainable perovskite solar modules (PSMs)...

Automaker expresses ‘cautious optimism’ on 2025’s prospects

THE multifaceted State of the Motor Industry (SOMI '25) event served as an ideal stage for Toyota South Africa Motors’ (TSAM) president and CEO,...