Industrial Refrigeration Summit for Manufacturing Plants

The problem: The new tortilla plant replaced six refrigeration systems that used a higher global warming potential refrigerant.

Published result: The new system is expected to use 41% less electricity than the modeled baseline, with 114% greater refrigeration capacity. With a compressed air project, the plant expects more than 20% lower electricity use, nearly 1.9 million kWh a year (as reported by Food Engineering, from Reser's and Energy Trust of Oregon).

Invited: Reser's Fine Foods · Read the published case

The problem: The plant's 20-year-old cooling system was at the end of its life and cost £146,000 a year to run.

Published result: A 707kW BITZER ammonia compressor pack has an estimated running cost of £61,000 a year, over £80,000 a year less, nearly 60% (estimated, as reported by BITZER via Refindustry).

Invited: BITZER and Demeva Refrigeration, with Pilgrim UK · Read the published case

The problem: Six ammonia refrigeration compressors were running at higher discharge pressure than the load required.

Published result: Discharge pressure was cut by 10 psi across all six compressors. Projected savings were 2,217,495 kWh a year; four months of utility bills confirmed an annual savings of 2,100,000 kWh (measured). Tyson then made the same change at plants in Arkansas and Mississippi (as reported by Food Industry Executive).

Invited: Tyson Foods · Read the published case

The problem: The producer wanted to run its frozen-food refrigeration more efficiently.

Published result: Actemium's Real-Time Coefficient of Performance software on Rockwell's PlantPAx cut energy use by nearly 17%, nearly US$130,000 annual savings per site (as reported by Rockwell Automation via FoodIngredientsFirst).

Invited: Rockwell Automation and Actemium · Read the published case

The problem: The plant burned fuel in boilers for hot water at 18 separate heating points while rejecting heat from its ammonia refrigeration.

Published result: A 1.5MW (426.5TR) Vilter VQ95 ammonia heat pump using refrigeration waste heat is expected to cut the facility's GHG emissions by approximately 40% annually (projected, as reported by Vilter by Copeland at ATMO America 2025).

Invited: Vilter by Copeland, with Saputo · Read the published case

The problem: The chocolate plant needs both cooling and heat and ran on a central coal-fired steam plant.

Published result: An ammonia heat pump with Vilter compressors cut process utility costs at the site by over $394,000 per year and CO2 by over 1.1 million pounds per year. The system was commissioned in May 2010 (as reported by Vilter by Copeland).

Invited: Vilter by Copeland and Star Refrigeration, with Nestlé · Read the published case

The problem: The pork plant needed more refrigeration capacity and a lot of hot water for clean-in-place and washup.

Published result: An ammonia heat pump preheats water from 55°F to 100°F: annual energy savings of 3,374 MWh, 3,000 metric tons of CO2 a year, 3,107K gallons of water a year, payback in less than 3 years against a projected 3.5 years (as reported by Vilter by Copeland).

Invited: Vilter by Copeland and SCS Refrigeration, with Conestoga Meats · Read the published case

The problem: The frozen food processor has worked through refrigeration and freezer upgrades one project at a time since 2014.

Published result: 14 refrigeration projects since 2014 save nearly 9 million kWh a year; a 2021 freezer tunnel project alone saved 2.3 million kWh, 13% of the company's total savings over 20 years (as reported by Energy Trust of Oregon).

Invited: Smith Frozen Foods · Read the published case