(Image: Supplied)
A poultry business has invested £2.5 million in a major refrigeration upgrade to cut carbon emissions.
Soanes Poultry, based in Middleton on the Wolds, commissioned London firm Zudek International to design and build a new industrial refrigeration plant that eliminates F-gases and supports future growth.
Ben Lee, managing director of Soanes Poultry, said: "Further to Zudek’s Environmental and Sustainability report, we opted for an integrated refrigeration and heat-pump system which will reduce our annual carbon emissions by approximately 492 tonnes of CO2 and reduce our reliance on fossil-fuel heating by 95 per cent."
"The latest investment shows our commitment to sustainable chicken production, which includes a 1648 module solar array to power the factory, biomass boilers to heat the chicken sheds and wind turbines on farms."
The new system is designed to improve energy efficiency and recover heat that would otherwise be wasted.
Ivan Zudek, managing director of Zudek International, said: "The Soanes Poultry site has developed and expanded over a number of years, with several different buildings, production areas and refrigeration systems forming the overall facility.
"The new project has been developed to provide a coordinated, site-wide refrigeration solution rather than continuing to rely on numerous independent systems.
"We were delighted to work with the Soanes team to support their ongoing commitment to product quality, operational standards and responsible production."
Soanes Poultry has been rearing and preparing chicken since 1947 and supplies butchers and independent retailers across Yorkshire, as well as wholesalers nationwide.
It sells chicken to butchers and independent retailers in Yorkshire and wholesalers nationwide.
Established in 1990, Zudek conceives, designs, and manufactures highly energy-efficient solutions for industrial refrigeration using only natural refrigerants.