A NEW SOLUTION FOR MANGO COOLING
Mangoes are grown around the world in tropical and warmer subtropical climates, and more than 55m tonnes are produced annually. Often referred to as the King of Fruits, mango can be enjoyed on its own, but is also widely used in sauces, pickles, juices and ice cream. It is a great source of magnesium and potassium, both of which help to lower blood pressure, and also contains a compound called mangiferin, which studies have suggested can reduce inflammation of the heart.
In Brazil, mangoes have been grown since their introduction by Portuguese traders in the 16th century. The country’s largest producer and exporter of the fruit is Agrodan, which grows more than 32 million kilos of mangoes annually across an area of 1,160 hectares on its eight farms.
Agrodan’s mission is to produce the best mangoes in the world in a safe and sustainable way. It has designated a large portion of its land as a natural heritage reserve and has reforested an area of 48 hectares. The company also has an environmental project to conserve native species of bees, which contribute to the natural pollination of mangoes, and more than 100 hives are distributed across its farms. 35% of all the energy consumption comes from natural resources, like solar plants, and two water treatment plants allow the recycling of around 100,000 litres a day.
In 2021, Güntner was approached to provide a cooling system for Agrodan’s new packing facility. The stipulation was that the mangoes should be cooled within six hours, with no damage to the fruit. This had to be done without moving or turning the pallets, and the air flow needed to be uniform across all of the pallets. And there was one other important factor: the project had to be completed in record time. Agrodan required a finished installation in just 50 days.
However, Luciano Costa, Technical Sales Representative at Güntner in Brazil, was not fazed. As it happened, he had already spent several months studying exactly how such a project could be managed, based on both his own tests and calculations, and research published in recent articles.
Costa’s solution involved the installation of ten Güntner Cubic COMPACT Air Coolers, together with an ECOSS G3 Evaporative Condenser. This was the first time a stainless-steel cooling tower such as Güntner’s had been used for such an application, as opposed to a traditional galvanised-steel version. The units needed no special features and could be speedily delivered in order to meet the project deadline. And they had an added energy-efficiency benefit compared to competitor products.
“Agrodan wanted to have the latest cooling technology in their plant, and we satisfied that need,” says Costa. “As well as that, because of the high-quality design of the Güntner products, there was less of a pressure drop, which meant we could use one less compressor than the existing cooling system. As a result of using three compressors instead of four, there’s an energy saving of 25% – something that’s very important for a customer who’s so committed to sustainability.”
A year after the project was satisfactorily completed, Agrodan decided to expand the packing facility, doubling it in size. Having been impressed by the previous installation, they returned to Güntner for ten more Cubic COMPACT Air Coolers and another ECOSS G3 Evaporative Condenser.