Alaskan Brewery Completes Transition to CO2 Process Cooling

From Alaskan:

TALKEETNA, AK   JULY 26, 2022

Last week, the work of four teams culminated in Talkeetna, Alaska with the commissioning, site training, and startup of the first natural-refrigerant chiller system for Denali Brewing and Spirits. After a year of diligent research and engineering discussions, these final steps complete the group’s journey toward reducing Denali’s global warming impact.

“Having everyone from PRO, Denali, Arctic Refrigeration and FGN working together and communicating constantly was great. This truly was a team effort” said Damon Reed, Head of PRO’s R744 Product Group.

Denali’s CEO Sassan Mossanen, along with the brewery’s service contractor Duke Brandt, of Arctic Refrigeration, recently prepared for the new system by traveling to PRO Refrigeration’s production facility in Mocksville, NC in the final days of production. During the visit, Damon introduced them to transcritical and subcritical CO2 refrigeration and safety, and provided a tour of the anatomy of the PROGreen chiller system.

“Discussing the network connectivity requirements setup ahead of commissioning was invaluable; you want to be able to consistently monitor a new system ensuring it is performing properly. Making sure we planned proper onsite technical training for the Arctic Refrigeration technicians and Denali staff was also important to ensure the hand-off of the system was a success. Using the training during the factory visit we were able to plan for the on-site audiences accordingly” Damon recalled.

When asked, Duke Brandt from Arctic Refrigeration said “Being able to plan piping in the return and supply for the main process tie-ins, and pre-piping for the heat recovery unit ahead of the equipment actually arriving was great. Getting the opportunity to see the system at the factory allowed for this. “

Soon after, the chiller system was transported across the US to its new home. During the 18-day journey from NC to AK, the Arctic Refrigeration team completed the piping installation and most system integration. The PRO Team, which included Damon, Jim VanderGiessen, and John VanderGiessen, traveled to Alaska for the final steps with additional remote support out of South Africa from the team at Future Green Now.

Duke discussed some of the challenges that were overcome for the project to be successful. “Making sure we had the right R744 containers and type of R744 in the area took some extra planning. We also were not sure about the electrical draw on the existing transformer. Communication between the electrical contractor, brewery personnel, mechanical contractor, and the OEM was great to monitor everything at startup and make sure there would not be any issues.”

The teams celebrated the close of this important chapter with a taste of the drink that started this project; Denali’s newly created ready-to-drink cocktails, which can be found exclusively at Climate Pledge Arena, home of the NHL Seattle Kraken.

About Pro Refrigeration
Auburn, Wash.-based Pro Refrigeration, Inc., is the leading cooling technology and equipment company for craft beverages and dairy in the US. The company provides innovative solutions for delivering chilled fluid from –45° F to +45° F. In 2020, PRO created their PROGreen Solution Team focused on natural refrigerants and shifting away from PRO’s usage of chemical-based refrigerants. Visit http://www.prochiller.com to learn more about PRO. Visit http://www.prochiller.com/progreen for more information on their shift to natural refrigerants.

About Denali Brewing & Spirits
Denali Brewing Company is an employee-owned microbrewery that opened in 2009 in Talkeetna, Alaska where it strives to produce the highest quality beer possible. We at Denali Brewing know that our success is held in great part by the passion and love that our brewers put into their craft. Denali Spirits was the natural progression from this endeavor: truly handcrafted to the highest
standard, placing our products at the forefront of premium spirits. Learn more at http://www.denalibrewing.com

About Arctic Refrigeration
Arctic Refrigeration has operated in Anchorage, AK for over 30 years offering design, installation, service and repairs on walk-in coolers, walk­ in freezers, reach-in coolers, freezers, ice machines, refrigerated display cases and all other commercial refrigeration equipment. Every minute counts when our customer’s refrigeration equipment is down. Our technicians ensure that when time is of the essence the repairs are timely and done right. Learn more at http://www.arcticrefrigerationak.com

About Future Green Now
Founded in 2020 on the basis of a long-standing passion for the environment and vast experience within the design and implementation of refrigeration solutions making use of natural refrigerants. Future Green Now offers independent consulting services that are technology driven, environmentally focused and socially responsible. World class service has led to a customer and partnership base across the globe. Learn more at http://www.futuregreen.co.za