'Star quality cooling' for Scottish meat processor

21 April 2011

Meat processor Scotbeef has chosen a high efficiency cooling system from Star Refrigeration for a factory extension at its facility in Stirling

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Scotbeef is a major supplier of Aberdeen-Angus, Scottish beef and lamb products to supermarkets in the UK and across the European Union. The company was recently looking to extend its existing processing site at the Bridge of Allan, in Stirling.

An energy efficient refrigeration system was required to provide cooling to three new beef processing rooms within the extended facility. It was vital that the cooling system provided accurate temperature control to a post slaughter chill area, beef quarters chill room and boning room.

Scotbeef opted for a high efficiency ammonia packaged Azanechiller from Star Refrigeration to meet its cooling requirements. The client had visited Star’s manufacturing facility at Westway, near Glasgow, to see Azanechiller in operation and was impressed by its build quality and low noise levels.

Star’s Azanechiller is a complete refrigeration package, ideally suited to food and drink production, cold storage, distribution and process cooling. It offers exceptional operating efficiency and has a robust construction designed to provide over 20 years of hassle-free performance.

Star was responsible for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of Scotbeef’s air-cooled Azanechiller, including pumps with variable speed drives, six ceiling mounted glycol coolers and a computerised control system.

Scotbeef’s low charge ammonia Azanechiller is a central pumped glycol system with a total cooling capacity of 365kW. The unit is fully packaged and located externally.

Suitable for cooling both water and glycol, Azanechiller was developed by Star for environmentally conscious end users. Ammonia is a naturally occurring refrigerant with zero ozone depletion potential and zero global warming potential. Each unit is pre-charged and factory tested ready for fast installation.

Star Refrigeration Key Account Manager Grant Buchanan says: “Azanechiller typically offers a 30% increase in performance compared with standard HFC chillers. Its packaged design and careful component selection result in an ultra low refrigerant charge, with all ammonia contained within the chiller and sited outside the facility.”

He adds: “As a complete refrigeration package, Azanechiller is easy to install. Only an electrical supply and flow/return pipework is required to provide cooling. This cuts down site installation and commissioning time, whilst also avoiding the need for a plant room.”

Azanechiller is available as an air-cooled or water-cooled unit with cooling capacity from 200kW to 850kW. Azanechiller features high quality, industrial components to offer unrivalled performance, reliability and low maintenance.

Each unit includes two screw compressors, low noise drive motors, a low charge, low pressure receiver and semi-welded PHE evaporator. Star’s Telstar computerised control system ensures optimum performance, with HMI touch screen interface and broadband connection available for offsite remote monitoring.

When it comes to designing energy efficient cooling and heating systems, Star is a natural innovator. Star works with strategic partners across the globe to deliver low carbon, cost saving solutions.