Star Refrigeration provides heat pump solution to Norway military base

The Glasgow-based cooling and heating specialist, with Norwegian refrigeration partner Norsk Kulde, has just installed the Neatpump system at the Ramsund Naval Base.  Located in the northern county of Troms, the coastal facility is used for Norwegian Army and Royal Norwegian Navy vessel repairs and is also a Special Forces base.

Star’s Neatpump ammonia heat pump plant extracts heat from seawater in Ramsund’s harbour. A glycol loop submerged in the harbour helps provide hot water and heating to all buildings on the base.

Unlike many first generation heat pump systems, Star’s Neatpump does not require any synthetic global warming gases (HFCs).  It operates using a low charge of ammonia, a naturally occurring refrigerant that has zero ozone depletion potential.

The plant has a 600kW capacity and a COP (Coefficient of Performance) of 2.7, heating water to temperatures between 60 and 68 degrees Celsius.

Commenting on the Ramsund project, Kenneth Hoffmann, Star’s sales manager – heating, says: “Energy efficiency and build quality were key to securing this contract.  Neatpump’s advanced compressor technology and ultra low maintenance design ensures over 20 years of environmentally conscious service.”

Kenneth Hoffmann adds: “This is our second Neatpump installation in Norway, working in partnership with Norsk Kulde.  Our 15MW district heating system on the Drammen Fjord near Oslo is providing hot water and heating to over 60,000 homes and businesses.”

Star’s Neatpump is a renewable energy heat pump that extracts heat from seawater, air or any industrial waste stream, such as air conditioning or large scale cooling processes.  This waste heat is captured, compressed, boosted and recycled to provide hot water at up to 90°C.

The Vilter single screw compressor is at the heart of Neatpump.  The unique compressor design has balanced pressure across the central rotor, ensuring long life, high reliability and low maintenance.  Neatpump is designed to provide over 20 years service without the costly maintenance work associated with other compressor types.

The high efficiency Neatpump is available with capacities ranging from 300kW to 8000kW.  The system can be designed to cool both water and secondary fluids including glycol, making it suitable for a variety of applications including process cooling and heating, AC with heating, steam raising and district cooling, heating and desalination.