In 2024, we installed a flake ice system for Europe's largest fishing port in Peterhead, Scotland. With annual fish landings valued at over £230 million, the necessity of ice for maintaining fish quality the port's outdated ice plants could no longer cope with the ice demand. The provision of the new flake ice plant will ensure the future viability of the local fishery and the fishing industry in general. We at KTI were able to convince the Peterhead Port Authority with our unique expertise in the manufacture of systems for ice production, ice storage, ice weighing and ice transportation. Attention was also paid to the use of the highest quality components and materials during the engineering phase. The result: a flake ice plant that far exceeds all industry standards.

Our state-of-the-art installation includes a plant that produces 75 tons of flake ice per day and an ice store with a storage capacity of 100 tons, which is equipped with a rake system for fully automatic operation. The use of high-quality stainless steel is a matter of course in order to meet hygiene standards as well as the requirements for installation directly on the quay wall. For sustainable and "green" operation, Peterhead Port Authority has opted for ammonia (R717) as the refrigerant. As a special feature, it should be mentioned that the system is recooled using the seawater that is already present. By choosing the refrigerant and the seawater cooling, our engineers created a highly efficient and sustainable solution that sets new standards. To ensure longevity despite the use of seawater, titanium was chosen as the metal for the components, which in turn emphasizes the special nature of the system. The port itself has installed a 150 kWp photovoltaic system on the roof of the adjacent fish market. We were also able to supply the necessary space for switchgear and equipment. Our state-of-the-art installation includes a plant that produces 75 tons of flake ice per day and an ice store with a storage capacity of 100 tons, which is equipped with a rake system for fully automatic operation. The use of high-quality stainless steel is a matter of course to meet hygiene standards as well as the requirements for installation directly on the quay wall. For sustainable and "green" operation, Peterhead Port Authority has opted for ammonia (R717) as the refrigerant. As a special feature, it should be mentioned that the system is recooled using the seawater that is already present. By choosing the refrigerant and the seawater cooling, our engineers created a highly efficient and sustainable solution that sets new standards. To ensure longevity despite the use of seawater, titanium was chosen as the metal for the components, which in turn emphasizes the special nature of the system. The port itself has installed a 150 kWp photovoltaic system on the roof of the adjacent fish market. We were also able to supply the necessary space for switchgear and equipment. The commissioning of the new ice plant will make supplying the fishing boats and the nearby fish market much easier and more efficient. The boats can load ice onto their vessels from the water. A new solution was developed for this purpose, which enables the ice conveyor unit to be swivelled, raised and lowered fully automatically. This ensures that the fish is optimally cooled immediately after being caught and thus reaches customers at the fish market in top quality. With the purchase of the KTI flake ice systems, the port of Peterhead remains a central hub for the fishing industry in the region, ensuring the highest standards in fish processing through the use of state-of-the-art refrigeration technology.

In 2019, we installed a flake ice plant at a Scottish salmon processing company. As our customer continues to expand their business, there was a need for more ice to pack the salmon. The limited space in the existing building once again highlighted the benefits of our container solution when we installed a flake ice plant next to the building with a production capacity of 80 tons per day.

Our turnkey installation includes a plant for the production of 80 tons of ice per day with an automatic ice storage with a capacity of 40 tons. A substructure, stairs and platforms, and an ice conveyor system complete the installation along with smaller accessories. We started the construction at the end of July 2019 and the whole setup was fully commissioned after only about 6 weeks. Flake ice production takes place on ice makers with chrome-plated surfaces. The refrigeration cycle is air cooled and an economizer together with the use of NH3 / ammonia as refrigerant leads to highest energy efficiency. Ice storage takes place in a stainless steel tank with our reliable air circulation channels to keep the internal temperature below freezing and ensure optimal storage of flake ice. An automatic ice rake constantly levels the ice and discharges it when needed. The ice transport system then delivers the ice to multiple ice feeders, which weigh it and pack it into insulated boxes ready for shipment, along with the fresh salmon. Alternatively, our customer also uses the flake ice to produce so-called slurry ice.

In February 2018, a Danish logistics company for fish approached us with the challenge of designing a plant that would meet their specific needs while at the same time fulfilling the highly demanding hygiene standards. This essentially involved a flake ice production of 100 tons of ice per day and an ice storage with a capacity of 90 tons. Furthermore, the ice has to be conveyed into the hall over a distance of 36 meters.

The flake ice plant was too large to be accommodated in the factory. Therefore, we installed the machines in standard shipping containers. This approach made it possible to place the ice machine, which can produce 100 tons per day, and the associated 90-ton ice storage system with our proven ice rake system next to the outer wall of the factory. At the same time, we planned to convey ice over a distance of almost 40 meters from the ice production unit to four ice batching units. Each ice feeder can only hold about 150 kg of ice at a time, and each meter of distance reduces the flexibility of supply. We realized this with an optimized control of the ice discharge system. Another challenge was the design of the machines themselves, as the ice must be hygienically spotless at all times. This meant leaving as few hard-to-clean corners and gaps as possible. The antibacterial properties of stainless steel and its high resistance to cleaning agents virtually rule out contamination of the ice while also making it easier to clean the components. As a refrigerant for ice production, we have used ammonia (NH3), which is ecologically unproblematic and is basically available in unlimited quantities. In combination with a so-called economizer and a water pre-cooler, we increased the energy efficiency by approx. 10% compared to similar plants. The plant has already been commissioned in Q3 2018 and fine tuning and interfaces to the fish processing plant have been established.

In 2019, we replaced an old existing plant in the port of La Reunion with a modern ice production facility. To reliably supply local fisheries with flake ice, our FLIP (Flake Ice Plant) produces 15 tons per day. The plant is operated - similar to a gas station - by the customer himself.

Already in the fall of 2018, we received an order from our customer to develop a new, modern ice production for the port on La Reunion. In addition to the ice production itself, which meets the latest technical standards, storage, transport and weighing were also required. The ice production plant was designed with ammonia (R717) as refrigerant. This ensures high energy efficiency. Likewise, in the event of a leak, no damage to the environment or climate is to be expected, which is important to both our customer and us. The produced ice is stored in an ice warehouse with a room temperature between -5°C / 23°F and -7°C / 19°F to keep the flake ice storable. Our customer has chosen a batch weighing system for ice, which is designed to weigh up to 450 kg / 990 lbs per weighing. The desired weight is set via a terminal PC, which is installed in a separate compartment from the technology. Access to it is realized by a chip-card system. The chip cards also serve to authenticate the ice cream customer for the integrated billing system. Once the ice has been weighed, it is transported directly to the docking ship via a pneumatic transport system. A flexible hose can simply be placed on the spot.