In 2022, milk producers from Ponthaux, Corcelles-près-Payerne and Russy (villages in Switzerland) and their milk buyer David Wolhauser launched a study for a project to build a new cheese dairy in Ponthaux, with the aim of bringing together the old, ageing cheese dairies on a single new production site for Gruyère AOP and Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP.
For this ambitious project, they turned to David Birbaum, director of Deltafroid Sarl, a company specialising in refrigeration systems for dairies. Their collaboration dates back to 2003, ensuring a relationship built on trust and shared expertise. The main objective was to design a new, high-performance and sustainable facility while optimising electricity consumption.
Cold temperatures: an essential factor in cheese production
At each stage of the cheese production chain, refrigeration is required to cool the milk, store lactic ferments, pasteurise, dehumidify the premises and maintain a controlled temperature in the maturing room for ripening. Deltafroid Sarl rises to the challenge by taking into account, above all, the energy aspect of the entire building and the growing needs associated with the automation of manufacturing equipment.
After a thorough analysis, Deltafroid Sarl proposes to implement an indirect refrigeration system with the installation of an ice water tank to supply all areas of the cheese dairy and reduce the refrigeration power required for cooling.
The installer then considers the most appropriate refrigerant in order to anticipate regulatory changes from ORRChim and offer his customer a sustainable solution. He turns to his equipment supplier Charles Hasler, who puts him in touch with John Padilla, Sales Manager at Climalife for French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland, to help him make the right choice.
Solstice® N15, environmental and performance benefits
With a GWP* of 288, R-515B is a non-flammable (classified as A1) azeotropic blend designed to replace R-134a. As John Padilla pointed out this refrigerant offers a sustainable alternative with a high coefficient of performance, reducing energy costs. This long-term solution ticks all the boxes in the specifications and has therefore been chosen for the new cheese factory.
At the heart of the cooling system is an iced water tank cooled to 0°C by a refrigeration unit equipped with two Bock HGX66/2070-S compressors with a unit capacity of 31.2 kW and charged with 60 kg of R-515B. Thanks to the thermodynamic properties of this refrigerant, the installation is also equipped with a heat recovery unit to preheat water from a 1,000-litre tank to 45°C. This preheating obviously helps to reduce electricity consumption. The water is then heated to a temperature of 65°C to meet the cleaning requirements of the various equipment and building surfaces. A Güntner condenser with a capacity of 100 kW is installed on the front of the cheese dairy.
Installation of a 0°C system for iced water
The ice water tank serves several areas that are essential to the cheese-making process. Two
water coolers are installed in the tank, allowing a large amount of ice to be stored
in order to maintain a controlled temperature in all areas, both night and day. This accumulation of ice constantly cools the warmer return water to a temperature close to 0°C.
The milk is delivered twice a day by 10 local producers in accordance with the specifications for Gruyère AOP. Its production must follow a strict procedure, with each step being carried out to the letter. The milk is cooled in the vat using exchangers through which ice-cold water circulates. The system can be adjusted via a control panel,
allowing you to choose which equipment to supply.
Lactic ferments stored in a cold room at a temperature of 2°C are added for the maturation process, along with rennet to curdle the milk. Once the curd has been cut, moulded and marked, the cheesemaker removes each wheel from the mould and immerses it in a salt bath at a controlled temperature of between 12 and 15°C. The cheeses are then stored in a ripening cellar for slow maturation in a humid environment at 90% humidity and a temperature of 15°C, maintained by a static system.
The chilled water basin also supplies the cooling coil of the air handling unit that controls the humidity in the manufacturing area.
Since 3 June, the Ponthaux cheese dairy has been fully operational and perfectly equipped to process the 3.6 million litres of milk collected each year, enabling the production of 310 tonnes of Gruyère and 3 tonnes of Vacherin. The shop, equipped with self-contained display cases that operate independently of the main system, was inaugurated on 23 August.
This project perfectly illustrates how an innovative vision, combined with technical expertise, can meet the challenges of cheese production while complying with strict quality and sustainability standards.
