ASHRAE Journal - January 2021 - 64

REFRIGERATION APPLICATIONS
COLUMN

Andy Pearson

Hot Topic for 2021
BY ANDY PEARSON, PH.D., C.ENG., FELLOW ASHRAE

I don't often get to blow my own trumpet here, but the beginning of a new year is a
good time for self-evaluation, and good news is always worth sharing. Ten years ago
we commissioned a large river source heat pump system in Norway, recognized at the
time as the largest and most efﬁcient high temperature natural refrigerant heat pump
in the world. The project won several awards, including the ASHRAE Comfort Cooling
Award for Project Excellence, in recognition of the technical, commercial and ﬁnancial successes it delivered for the district heating company who operate it.

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optimal performance in these conditions, and the
combined heating capacity is 5,200 kW. A third unit
of the same capacity is now under construction for
delivery later in the year to
another famous British seaport
and more are on the way.
It's important to recognize
the role that the Scottish
government has played in
supporting this development through their grantaid scheme, the Low Carbon
Infrastructure Transformation
Program (LCITP), and the
UK government through the
Renewable Heat Incentive.
When the United Nations Climate Change
Conference (COP26) finally convenes in Glasgow
in November this year after being postponed by 12
months due to the pandemic, we are sure that the
Twins will have many visitors, and it will be great to
be able to showcase what has already been achieved
in the reduction of carbon emissions
through the application of refrigeration engineering technology. In the
meantime it's good to know that the https://bit.ly/3khhdC5
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Twins are keeping it warm for them,
demonstrating the art of the possible.
VITAL ENERGY/WEST DUMBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL

We have now commissioned the next generation
of this system much closer to home for me, on the
banks of the River Clyde in Scotland. The site is just
10 miles from the birthplace
of refrigeration pioneer James
Harrison (see ASHRAE Journal,
October 2018 60(10):72) and
it was formerly John Brown's
shipyard in Clydebank, where
many of the famous cruise
ships of the Cunard line,
including Queen Mary, Queen
Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth
II were built. In recognition of
this heritage the campus now
The Twins: keeping it warm.
served by the heating network
is called " Queens Quay. " There are two heat pump
systems, known as " The Twins, " and they serve a mix
of a sports center, a further education college, a residential care home for the elderly, the local town hall
and of course a mix of houses and apartments. Plans
are already underway to extend the network to the
local hospital.
The Twins draw water from the river at an average
temperature of about 8°C (about 46°F) and circulate hot water to the network at up to 75°C (about
167°F) achieving a heat advantage (also known as
the heating CoP) of 3.0-3.5, depending on the warm
return temperature. Like the Norwegian system, the
refrigerant is ammonia, which was proved to give

Andy Pearson, Ph.D., C.Eng., is group managing director at Star Refrigeration in
Glasgow, UK.

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ASHRAE Journal - January 2021

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