Natural solutions for food manufacturing
Turkish food company Beypiliç has been manufacturing chicken products for four decades. Its factory at Bolu in northern Türkiye is one of the biggest of its kind in the country and produces more than 150 different kinds of chicken items, from whole birds to schnitzels and deli products.
The company takes great care that its chicken meat does not contain hormones or antibiotics and takes food safety very seriously in its operations. Its plant has HACCP certification, and its staff operate under the motto that “If we’re not happy to eat our own products, we won’t let our customers eat them.”
Cooling is crucial
Cooling is a vital element of any chicken factory. Slaughtered chickens must be cooled within a strict time frame to ensure the meat is safe for consumers, and traditionally there are two basic methods for doing this. The first is immersion, in which chickens are soaked in a cold, communal water bath for a relatively extended time. The second is air chilling, in which the birds are circulated through a series of chill chambers.
Beypiliç favours the latter method. The advantages are that cross-contamination can be prevented, the meat’s natural juices are retained, and the final product contains less water and has a better taste.
A natural approach
Since 2022, Güntner has been providing cooling solutions for Beypiliç’s Bolu factory, not only in the initial air-cooling process, but also throughout the factory in the production, working and packing areas. This includes an 8,500kW -45°CCO2 system, a 30,000-pallet -35°CCO2 liquid frozen storage facility, and a massive 20,000-25,000kW high-stage ammonia/glycol circuit.
The initial order was for a mixture of Güntner Cubic VARIO Air Coolers and Dual VARIO Air Coolers. This was followed two years later by more Cubic VARIO Air Coolers. And finally, in 2025, with the support of our business partner, Karsu Soğutma, Güntner delivered Güntner Blast Air Coolers.
Raif Atalar, Sales Manager at Güntner in Türkiye, says the project is particularly notable for using two natural refrigerants – carbon dioxide and ammonia – as well as glycol, which is non-volatile and poses minimal risk to health or the environment. Güntner has long been a champion of the use of natural refrigerants, which, in contrast to synthetic refrigerants, produce either negligible or no greenhouse emissions, and offer no environmental risks.
For company leaders, there are very practical reasons for choosing natural refrigerants:
Regulations. Both international, regional and national regulations governing the use of harmful HFCs are becoming ever tighter. It is likely that regulations will also be introduced to curtail the use of HFOs, another synthetic refrigerant, which is linked to persistence and toxicity issues.
ESG. Countries around the world are seeing a significant increase in concern by both shareholders and consumers regarding the environment. It therefore makes sense to adopt cooling solutions that have minimal or no impact on the planet.
Economics. There are good financial reasons for avoiding assets that could become subject to future regulations. Advances in technology are also making systems using natural refrigerants more competitive in terms of cost compared to those using synthetics. In an increasing number of cases, particularly in large ammonia installations, natural refrigerants now prove cheaper.
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A reliable partner
Other aspects of the Bolu cooling project also offer sustainability benefits. These include energy-efficient fans, and hot gas and warm brine defrost solutions, both of which melt ice from the inside out, consuming less energy than traditional defrost processes.
“Beypiliç chose Güntner because they were looking for a reliable partner with long years of experience,” says Atalar. “I’m very happy that we were able to offer them sustainable solutions that reflect their own commitment to the planet’s welfare.”
The signing of this historic and meaningful partnership in 2022 pushed the boundaries of the industrial refrigeration sector in Türkiye. We extend our sincere thanks to Mr Hamdi Tanrıkulu, the owner of Beypiliç, whose vision and leadership made this milestone possible. May the collaboration between Karsu Soğutma and Güntner continue to inspire the industry.
