CASE STUDY
Frozen food problem solved with ammonia
solution A new high-efficiency ammonia refrigeration system from Bitzer is delivering carbon savings and reducing cooling energy costs for frozen food specialist Greenyard.
A
high-efficiency Bitzer ammonia refrigeration system has been installed at Greenyard, a frozen food
specialist, by Armstrong Refrigeration Services Ltd. This system is reported to deliver substantial reductions in carbon emissions while also cutting cooling energy costs by over £100,000 annually. The Bitzer Ammonia Compressor Pack (model ACP-85) provides up to 310kW of cooling power, serving a large frozen food store dedicated to preserving high-quality fruit and vegetables at Greenyard’s facility in Boston, Lincolnshire.
Project background The inverter-driven pack replaces a refrigeration system by another manufacturer that was nearing the end of its working life and proving inefficient and costly to maintain. Ben Armstrong, director of Armstrong
Refrigeration Services Ltd, who headed the project, says: “The customer’s main requirements were to reduce energy consumption, cut servicing costs and provide the necessary cooling duty with a compact solution that could be accommodated in the plant room, given the space constraints. “The existing pack was to be retained
for use as a standby unit, and available space was limited. The ACP pack is highly reliable and efficient, and packs a lot of cooling into a very compact footprint. It was an ideal solution.” The unit was the first ACP pack installed by Armstrong, however the project was completed without a hitch, with commissioning specialists from Bitzer UK and Germany attending site to provide technical support.
Successful transition “We planned the project carefully to minimise cooling down-time, and the switch-over from the existing plant to the new Bitzer ACP was completed in just half a day,” says Ben Armstrong.
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Above – Bitzer UK provided on-site commissioning support for the project
Centre – the insulated ammonia pipework above the units
Below – the Bitzer Ammonia Compressor Pack provides up to 310kW of cooling
commissioning support from Bitzer staff, the project was delivered as planned, and the new plant is performing smoothly and efficiently.”
Future developments Following the project’s success, a second ACP refrigeration system has been specified to replace another end- of-life pack at Greenyard’s Boston site. Bitzer’s ACP range has been designed to meet the requirement for very high efficiency cooling for industrial applications with a zero Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant. In addition to its exceptional part- load efficiency, it offers outstanding resilience, with a back-up compressor in the unlikely event of a failure, and rapid commissioning due to its plug- and-play design. Adding to the inherent efficiency of
screw compressors, the speed of the lead compressor is controlled by an integrated Variable Speed Drive (VSD), which significantly increases part- load efficiency and enables soft-start, important on sites with limited power headroom. Kevin Glass, MD of Bitzer UK,
Since the ACP system was installed,
energy use has fallen by 20%, delivering savings in running costs of more than £100,000 over a full year. When savings in servicing costs are added, payback on the project is anticipated to be comfortably less than one year. “Sustainability and reducing the
environmental impact of our operations is a key focus for our business,” comments Paul Spurrell, Greenyard project and utility engineering services manager. “Our strategic goal is to cut
CO₂ emissions by 50% by 2025 (from 2020 baseline), and by 70% by 2030. The new ammonia refrigeration system helps us meet these targets, as well as reducing energy and servicing costs. It’s a win-win for the business and the environment.” Chris Hodgson, Greenyard engineering supervisor, adds: “We worked closely with Armstrong Refrigeration to plan the installation, and ensure the switch-over was as seamless as possible. With
comments: “Ammonia refrigeration systems have traditionally been built as one-offs, often in less than ideal conditions. Bitzer is able to build ACP units in a high quality factory environment, ensuring the highest possible system integrity, essential when working with ammonia. “Armstrong Refrigeration’s project
for Greenyard is an excellent example of ACP’s environmental and cost- saving benefits, with the anticipated short payback time making it highly attractive.” A further benefit for end users is that the screw compressors used on ACP have much longer maintenance intervals than reciprocating compressors, further reducing the cost
of ownership over the plant’s lifetime. ■
https://www.bitzer.de/gb/en/
EIBI | MAY 2025
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