Peters Ice Cream Australia Ltd (formerly Peters Ltd)
Tetra Tech’s High Performance Buildings Group provided mechanical, electrical, fire protection, communications, and vertical transportation engineering design for the extension and upgrade of Peters Ltd. food processing plant.
The design had to consider the operational procedures of the facility, with Peters Ltd specializing in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) which requires frequent incoming shipments of raw material with specific temperate, hygiene and humidity requirements, rapid processing, and packaging for dispatch. Fulfilling the environmental needs without compromising the sterility of the food preparation areas was essential to the project's success.
The project was required to achieve the following criteria:
- Continuation of food processing on project site and another site during installation and relocation of processing equipment. Designing a system that could be installed with minimal disruption in the facility required in-depth knowledge of the operations of the processing plant, and close collaboration with Peters Ltd stakeholders
- Expansion of all production functions
- Organization and continuous flow patterns with the manufacturing process
- Structured flow of personnel and vehicles into and around the site
- Rationalization of raw materials receipt and product dispatch facilities
The criteria that were applied to achieve these elements were:
- Strict application of hygiene codes
- Maintenance of a safe and comfortable working environment
- Compliance with programming and budgetary targets
A principal feature of the project is the ammonia refrigeration system which provides -48°C (-54°F), -40°C (-40°F), and -10°C (14°F) expansion systems. The compressor arrangement provides sufficient peak capacity, diversity for various process demands and compressor configuration to ensure reliable service. The refrigeration plant provides simplicity, flexibility, and control at low capital cost and minimum energy consumption.
Integration of the existing plant to facilitate future expansion required substantial revisions to electrical systems within existing plant operations. This required substation relocation and an increase in capacity from 1 MVA to 6 MVA. HV reticulation was converted from overhead to underground. Siting of new HV switchboard optimized reuse of submains cabling and existing switchboards.
This unique operational food processing plant project was progressively installed, commissioned and handed over without interruption to production to achieve all of the Client’s requirements. Operating costs were as predicted in the design phase, capital costs were within budget and installation completion dates were achieved.
