Heat generated at 85°C thanks to the installation of a heat pump
Each year, Compagnie des Fromages & Riches Monts (CF&R) saves 12 GWh on its gas consumption. These results were achieved following the installation of a high-temperature heat pump at its production facility in Montauban-de-Bretagne. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring the company’s independence from fossil fuels.
Owned by CF&R, the famous cheese brands—Cœur de Lion, Rustique, RichesMonts, St André, and Révérend—are sold in more than 70 countries. This company specializes in the production of industrial soft cheeses, including Camembert, Coulommiers, Brie, raclette cheese, and others.
The production of these products requires both large amounts of cold and hot water at over 80 °C, primarily to pasteurize the milk.
How can we capitalize on this dual need and avoid wasting energy?
This is the challenge that the experts at Axima Refrigeration tackled, resulting in a 20 to 25 percent annual reduction in CF&R’s gas consumption since 2018.
In 2015, following an energy audit, the company decided to improve its energy efficiency by installing a heat pump:
- A high-temperature hybrid heat pump capable of producing hot water at temperatures between 85 and 90 °C
- Hybrid technology combining compression and absorption
- Low operating pressure
An effective and simple system
The principle involves recovering heat from refrigeration systems, raising its temperature, and then reusing it in another part of the industrial process. Overall, the use of a heat pump makes it possible to recover waste heat for industrial processes as well as for district heating systems.
The Key Stages of Heat Recovery
50% reduction in gas consumption projected by 2024
In terms of energy efficiency, CF&R achieves a 20 to 25 percent reduction in its annual gas consumption every year. The figures also show a savings of 12 GWh, or 2,000 metric tons of CO2 avoided per year.
Better yet, “the energy savings generated by the installation of this heat pump will reach 50% by 2024,” emphasizes Jean Philippe LEROY, Head of Engineering & Energy at Compagnie des Fromages & RichesMonts.
This is an ambitious but achievable projection, as the technology implemented by the experts at Axima Refrigeration combines two distinct thermodynamic cycles: compression and absorption. The system uses a refrigerant—ammonia—and an absorbent—water. The properties of the water-ammonia mixture allow for the production of hot water up to 120°C at an operating pressure below 25 bar.
Subsidized facilities
Heat pumps are eligible for subsidies through CEE energy-saving certificates, grants from ADEME, France 2030, or European funds. Our experts at Axima Réfrigération will guide you through every step of the process to ensure your energy transition.
The Industrial Heat Pump - HEATEO
Do you have a need? Let's talk about it!
Do you have a need? Let's talk about it!
