The most reliable and energy-efficient air handling system for fresh fish and food production

A stable and hygienic indoor environment

In the production of fresh goods, high standards of hygiene and product quality are essential. Without an efficient air handling system that controls air quality, temperature, and relative humidity, several aspects can be adversely affected: the working environment, machine efficiency and lifespan, product quality, and overall production time. High relative humidity or temperatures over time can lead to bacterial growth, mould, increased corrosion, and damage to electrical equipment.

In fish production, effective dehumidification is particularly critical to prevent condensation and water drips, which can introduce bacteria and contaminants to the product.

An unstable indoor climate poses a risk of lower product quality, compromised working conditions, and penalties from regulatory authorities, potentially leading to the closure of production facilities. The various phases of production, such as filleting, washing, drying, and standby/night operation, each require different indoor climate conditions, necessitating a climate control system that can adapt accordingly.

Challenging Nordic climate conditions

Norway's climate presents significant variations. During summer, outdoor air contains high moisture levels that must be dehumidified before entering the production hall. Combined with internal humidity levels, this can result in significant amounts of water that need to be removed. In parts of winter, outdoor air contains relatively low humidity levels, enabling dehumidification using outdoor air and heating. Summer's high humidity and heat create excess moisture when meeting the cool production environment, while winter brings extremely low temperatures requiring both air exchange and heating in production areas.

A properly dimensioned climate control system can manage these variations with minimal energy consumption, ensuring ideal conditions for hygiene, employees, buildings, and production equipment. Automated climate control is crucial for protecting machinery, electronics, and buildings from corrosion, mould, and wear.

In Holmøy's competitive industry, reducing production costs is essential. This places high demands on equipment and machinery for reliability and energy efficiency to minimise service and operating expenses.

A complete air handling system

In such a challenging environment, both indoors and outdoors, Holmøy required an integrated solution for air handling and climate control. They selected Dantherm's ECOline, a modular solution that integrates ventilation, dehumidification, heating, and cooling.

• Dehumidification: Conducted via fresh air and adsorption, which operates efficiently in cold environments between -30 °C and +30 °C. The unit, a Dantherm SD sorption dehumidifier, uses surplus heat from the cooling systems for regeneration, saving Holmøy hundreds of kWh of electricity.
• Ventilation: The DanX CF ventilation unit can replace 0-100% of indoor air with fresh air, depending on production phase requirements. It is designed for harsh environments such as the food industry and recovers up to 95% of heat.

The units feature autonomous control/automation housed in a separate electrical panel.

Learn more about Dantherm ECOline air handling system

With a comprehensive solution like Holmøy's, where Dantherm supplies all air handling modules, Dantherm takes full responsibility for the climate control system. This provides the customer with confidence that production can run smoothly for the next 15-30 years.

The system is customised to Holmøy's specific requirements, such as minimum and maximum temperatures and desired humidity levels in various production phases. Input from sensors informs relevant climate control components, making ECOline a critical element in automating Holmøy's smart factory.

The system is delivered with commissioning, calibration, functional guarantees, and a service agreement.

Low costs, long lifespan

With ECOline air handling, Holmøy can document the consistent maintenance of correct climate conditions for processing and storing fish. This significantly simplifies regulatory documentation and reduces resource expenditure for food authority inspections.

Energy efficiency is high, with 80-95% energy recovery in the DanX CF unit and adsorption dehumidification leveraging surplus heat to cut energy consumption by up to 50% compared to similar systems.

Low lifecycle costs directly enhance Holmøy's profitability. Depending on production capacity and energy prices, the return on investment is expected within 3-5 years. The air handling system will foreseeably remain operational for 20-30 years, making it the most economical long-term solution.

Reliable operation for years to come allows Holmøy to focus on their core mission: producing and selling fresh food products.

ECOline represents the next generation of air handling systems for the food industry:

• Comprehensive climate control
• High energy efficiency
• Minimal maintenance
• Easy installation
• User-friendly interface

“We cannot take chances with climate control in our production. It is absolutely essential that we can rely on climate management to guarantee high product quality for our customers. This is why Dantherm's ECOline plays a key role for us.”

Børge Holm, General Manager, Holmøy Products