PROJECT |
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN |
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After completing the required cooling cycle |
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in the tunnels, the pallets are transferred to |
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a separate, refrigerated dispatch area. Here, |
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they ' re staged for individual containers as |
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they arrive, with PPECB involved in the final |
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staging and containerisation process before |
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the sealed containers are transported to the |
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harbour for export. |
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Beyond citrus, handled in significant |
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volumes from May to September, the Epping |
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facility ' s design allows for remarkable |
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versatility. Its rooms are engineered to |
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accommodate a wide range of deciduous |
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fruits, including apples, pears, grapes, |
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avocados and blueberries. This multi-fruit |
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capability maximises the facility ' s utility |
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throughout the year, adapting seamlessly to |
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various harvest seasons. |
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Maintaining distinct conditions for |
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different fruit batches is paramount. While |
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larger rooms can house multiple steritunnels |
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for high-volume exports to the same |
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country, strict protocols apply once a room |
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Dispatch load-out area. Wedgwood redesigned the compressor
packages to handle both high-stage and
low-stage requirements. While the low
stage retains the capability to run down to
-35 ° C or-30 ° C depending on the load, the
high stage suction temperature for the fruit
cooling operations is designed for a range
of-10 ° C to-8 ° C.
DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL COMPLEXITIES
The conversion project presented
several unique challenges. A primary
hurdle was the necessity to keep the
facility operational throughout the
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upgrade process. This meant carefully coordinating modifications while rooms still held frozen products, requiring strategic shutdowns of machine rooms and temporary reliance on the interconnected Plant Room 2.
The CCH Epping facility is designed to handle the complex journey of fruit for export, adhering to stringent international standards. Citrus, sourced from regions like Citrusdal, Clanwilliam and Robertson, arrives continuously throughout the day already palletised by CCH ' s farmer clients. Upon delivery, all fruit undergoes rigorous inspection, particularly for demanding
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markets like the US, where stringent quality and safety standards apply.
From inspection, the fruit is directed either into a holding room or specialised steri-tunnels. The duration and temperature of this sterilisation( steri) process are precisely dictated by the destination country ' s requirements; for instance, some markets demand fruit be held at-0.5 ° C for 24 hours, while others may require-0.8 ° C for 48 hours. This exact temperature management is critical for meeting international phytosanitary regulations and ensuring the fruit ' s quality upon arrival.
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is sealed for the sterilisation process – no additional fruit can be loaded. Furthermore,‘ steri-fruit’ cannot be placed in a holding room post-treatment; it must proceed directly to transport for export, whether loaded into refrigerated trucks bound for the harbour, refrigerated vessels or containers.
While sterilisation is a key function, it ' s not the facility ' s sole purpose. The design caters to a comprehensive list of international requirements, ensuring compliance with varying steri-cooling mandates – for example, mandatory for US and parts of the East, but not always for the EU. These strict regulations, though challenging, are a standard part of the international fruit trade.
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