Food plant: 90°C process water from 35°C wash effluent
Illustrative case: single-stage HFC/HFO heat pump replacing a gas boiler for CIP and wash water.
Engineering data
Project background
A mid-size food processor needed stable 85–90°C hot water. Existing gas boiler COP-equivalent was ~0.9 with rising carbon cost.
Source / inputs
Source: wash effluent 32–38°C. Sink: process water 90°C. Duty: ~800 kW. Refrigerant candidate: R1234ze(E) / R515B class.
Heat pump solution
Single-stage screw heat pump with plate evaporators on the waste stream and a water condenser. Economizer reserved for winter source drop.
COP & savings
Illustrative COP band 2.4–2.9 at design; annual gas displacement ~70% of hot-water boiler load.
Investment / ROI notes
Simple payback typically 3–5 years depending on electricity/gas spread and carbon price—verify with site tariffs.