Juice pasteurisation without a diesel boiler
How a beverage plant pasteurising 40,000 litres of juice a day can make its 90–95 °C hot water with heat pumps instead of a diesel-fired boiler.
▶Video: Process hot water for food, dairy and beverages
V02 · 2–2.5 minPasteurisers, CIP, cooking and washing on stored hot water instead of boiler steam
Video coming soon01Problem statement
- Steam for a hot-water duty. The pasteuriser needs water at 90–95 °C, but it is made from 8–10 bar steam in a hot-water set.
- Overheating spoils flavour. Steam-heated water sets swing in temperature. Overshoot cooks juice and affects colour and fresh taste.
- Several small hot-water users. Syrup dissolving and CIP each draw steam, so the boiler runs all shift at part load.
- Losses between fuel and process. Burning diesel in a boiler or heater and distributing the heat loses a quarter or more of the fuel's energy before it reaches the process.
- Compliance, safety and handling. Fired equipment brings boiler inspections, fuel storage and unloading, flue emissions and an attendant on every shift.
02Use case
The reference plant makes fruit juices, nectars and fruit drinks in PET and Tetra packs. A 4,000 L/h plate pasteuriser runs a 10-hour shift. Sugar syrup is dissolved hot, and the line has two CIP cycles a day.
| Heat user | Process temp. | Basis | Heat, kWh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juice pasteuriser, heating section | Juice 72 → 90 °C, hot water 93–95 °C | 4,000 L/h × 10 h, after regeneration, 10% losses | 878 |
| Sugar syrup dissolving | 80 °C | 6,000 L water/day, 30 → 80 °C | 348 |
| CIP | 80 °C | 2 cycles × 3,000 L, 30 → 80 °C | 348 |
| Storage and pipework standing losses | – | about 5% | 79 |
| Total useful heat | 1,653 | ||
Averaged over 14 running hours, the heat pumps need about 118 kW.
03P&ID
Tags: HP heat pump, TK tank, SG steam generator, P pump, PHE plate heat exchanger, TCV temperature control valve, TIC temperature indicating controller (panel), TT temperature transmitter, MT moisture transmitter, PT pressure transmitter, LT level transmitter, FS flow switch, NC normally closed. Process fluids are heated through their own exchanger, coil or jacket.
04Solution
System description
- 5 × SE-SHT-25C (125 kW total) (SE-SHT cascade heat pump) delivering 95 °C, covering the day's 1,653 kWh in about 13.2 running hours.
- A 4,000 L insulated storage tank decouples the heat pumps from the process peaks.
- The diesel-fired steam boiler stays connected behind a normally closed valve as standby.
- The heat pumps feed the hot-water circuit of the pasteuriser directly through a buffer tank, replacing the steam hot-water set.
- The regeneration section does most of the heating. The heat pumps cover the final 18 K and losses.
- Syrup dissolving and CIP take water from the same tank, so the boiler is not needed during production.
Selected equipment
| Model | SE-SHT-25C × 5 |
|---|---|
| Heating capacity | 25 kW each, 125 kW total |
| COP | 2.6 at A20 °C / W90 °C (data sheet T1) |
| Power input | about 46.5 kW total at rated conditions |
| Rating | cascade R410A + R515B, rated 90 °C, 95 °C maximum |
| Supply temperature | 95 °C |
| Storage | 4,000 L insulated tank |
Ratings from the Sunniva TDS 2026 data sheets.
Control philosophy
TT-101 at the tank top starts the heat pumps below 90 °C and stops them at 95 °C, staging units in turn. TIC-201 holds juice at 90 °C at the holding tube inlet. TT-102 at the tank bottom gives an early start before CIP. If juice temperature drops below set point, the divert valve recirculates product and the standby boiler valve can be opened.
05Energy saving and ROI
Change any input to match a customer's site. Defaults are typical Indian prices for October 2026. The installed cost is a placeholder; replace it with the actual quotation.
| Existing | Heat pump | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily consumption | – | – |
| Annual energy cost | – | – |
| Cost per 1,000 L juice | – | – |
| CO₂ per year | – | – |
06Benefits
Steadier pasteuriser
A controlled hot-water supply holds juice temperature closely, protecting colour and flavour.
Shorter start-up
Stored hot water brings the pasteuriser to temperature without waiting for the boiler.
Cleaner utility room
The diesel boiler can be kept for standby only.
Lower energy cost
Each kWh of electricity delivers about 2.6 kWh of heat at the required temperature, against well under one kWh of useful heat per kWh of fuel burnt.
No flame on site
No burner, flue or fuel tank for this duty, and no fuel deliveries to schedule.
Built-in redundancy
Several machines share the load. If one is serviced, the others and the storage carry most of the day, with the existing heater in reserve.
07Engineering pointers
Site data to collect
- Products, pasteurisation temperature and hold time
- Pasteuriser capacity and regeneration percentage
- Syrup volumes and temperature
- CIP schedule
- Existing hot-water set rating
- Present fuel or electricity use and monthly bill
- Sanctioned electrical load and spare capacity
- Space for the heat pumps and storage, with service access
- Winter minimum ambient at site
Design notes
- Approach temperature. With a 95 °C supply the heating section has only a 5 K approach. Check the PHE has enough plates, or add plates.
- Acidic products. Juice side stays in SS316. The heat pump loop never meets product.
- Divert logic. Keep the existing flow divert valve and temperature recorder unchanged for food-safety compliance.
- Electrical. About 46 kW of heat pump input at rated conditions, plus pumps and fans. Check spare sanctioned load before ordering.
- Winter output. The SE-SHT cascade gives about 80% of rated output at 7 °C ambient and still runs at −20 °C. Size on the coldest design day for northern sites.
- Water quality. Scale forms quickly above 60 °C. Use softened make-up and keep the heat pump loop closed, with process fluids on the far side of an exchanger or coil.
Service and warranty
Sunniva has supplied 5,000+ heat pumps since 2012, with nine service technicians across India, including remote sites such as Leh. All components carry a one-year warranty.
Talk to us
Juice pasteurisation without a diesel boiler
How a beverage plant pasteurising 40,000 litres of juice a day can make its 90–95 °C hot water with heat pumps instead of a diesel-fired boiler.
▶Video: Process hot water for food, dairy and beverages
V02 · 2–2.5 minPasteurisers, CIP, cooking and washing on stored hot water instead of boiler steam
Video coming soon01Problem statement
- Steam for a hot-water duty. The pasteuriser needs water at 90–95 °C, but it is made from 8–10 bar steam in a hot-water set.
- Overheating spoils flavour. Steam-heated water sets swing in temperature. Overshoot cooks juice and affects colour and fresh taste.
- Several small hot-water users. Syrup dissolving and CIP each draw steam, so the boiler runs all shift at part load.
- Losses between fuel and process. Burning diesel in a boiler or heater and distributing the heat loses a quarter or more of the fuel's energy before it reaches the process.
- Compliance, safety and handling. Fired equipment brings boiler inspections, fuel storage and unloading, flue emissions and an attendant on every shift.
02Use case
The reference plant makes fruit juices, nectars and fruit drinks in PET and Tetra packs. A 4,000 L/h plate pasteuriser runs a 10-hour shift. Sugar syrup is dissolved hot, and the line has two CIP cycles a day.
| Heat user | Process temp. | Basis | Heat, kWh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juice pasteuriser, heating section | Juice 72 → 90 °C, hot water 93–95 °C | 4,000 L/h × 10 h, after regeneration, 10% losses | 878 |
| Sugar syrup dissolving | 80 °C | 6,000 L water/day, 30 → 80 °C | 348 |
| CIP | 80 °C | 2 cycles × 3,000 L, 30 → 80 °C | 348 |
| Storage and pipework standing losses | – | about 5% | 79 |
| Total useful heat | 1,653 | ||
Averaged over 14 running hours, the heat pumps need about 118 kW.
03P&ID
Tags: HP heat pump, TK tank, SG steam generator, P pump, PHE plate heat exchanger, TCV temperature control valve, TIC temperature indicating controller (panel), TT temperature transmitter, MT moisture transmitter, PT pressure transmitter, LT level transmitter, FS flow switch, NC normally closed. Process fluids are heated through their own exchanger, coil or jacket.
04Solution
System description
- 5 × SE-SHT-25C (125 kW total) (SE-SHT cascade heat pump) delivering 95 °C, covering the day's 1,653 kWh in about 13.2 running hours.
- A 4,000 L insulated storage tank decouples the heat pumps from the process peaks.
- The diesel-fired steam boiler stays connected behind a normally closed valve as standby.
- The heat pumps feed the hot-water circuit of the pasteuriser directly through a buffer tank, replacing the steam hot-water set.
- The regeneration section does most of the heating. The heat pumps cover the final 18 K and losses.
- Syrup dissolving and CIP take water from the same tank, so the boiler is not needed during production.
Selected equipment
| Model | SE-SHT-25C × 5 |
|---|---|
| Heating capacity | 25 kW each, 125 kW total |
| COP | 2.6 at A20 °C / W90 °C (data sheet T1) |
| Power input | about 46.5 kW total at rated conditions |
| Rating | cascade R410A + R515B, rated 90 °C, 95 °C maximum |
| Supply temperature | 95 °C |
| Storage | 4,000 L insulated tank |
Ratings from the Sunniva TDS 2026 data sheets.
Control philosophy
TT-101 at the tank top starts the heat pumps below 90 °C and stops them at 95 °C, staging units in turn. TIC-201 holds juice at 90 °C at the holding tube inlet. TT-102 at the tank bottom gives an early start before CIP. If juice temperature drops below set point, the divert valve recirculates product and the standby boiler valve can be opened.
05Energy saving and ROI
Change any input to match a customer's site. Defaults are typical Indian prices for October 2026. The installed cost is a placeholder; replace it with the actual quotation.
| Existing | Heat pump | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily consumption | – | – |
| Annual energy cost | – | – |
| Cost per 1,000 L juice | – | – |
| CO₂ per year | – | – |
06Benefits
Steadier pasteuriser
A controlled hot-water supply holds juice temperature closely, protecting colour and flavour.
Shorter start-up
Stored hot water brings the pasteuriser to temperature without waiting for the boiler.
Cleaner utility room
The diesel boiler can be kept for standby only.
Lower energy cost
Each kWh of electricity delivers about 2.6 kWh of heat at the required temperature, against well under one kWh of useful heat per kWh of fuel burnt.
No flame on site
No burner, flue or fuel tank for this duty, and no fuel deliveries to schedule.
Built-in redundancy
Several machines share the load. If one is serviced, the others and the storage carry most of the day, with the existing heater in reserve.
07Engineering pointers
Site data to collect
- Products, pasteurisation temperature and hold time
- Pasteuriser capacity and regeneration percentage
- Syrup volumes and temperature
- CIP schedule
- Existing hot-water set rating
- Present fuel or electricity use and monthly bill
- Sanctioned electrical load and spare capacity
- Space for the heat pumps and storage, with service access
- Winter minimum ambient at site
Design notes
- Approach temperature. With a 95 °C supply the heating section has only a 5 K approach. Check the PHE has enough plates, or add plates.
- Acidic products. Juice side stays in SS316. The heat pump loop never meets product.
- Divert logic. Keep the existing flow divert valve and temperature recorder unchanged for food-safety compliance.
- Electrical. About 46 kW of heat pump input at rated conditions, plus pumps and fans. Check spare sanctioned load before ordering.
- Winter output. The SE-SHT cascade gives about 80% of rated output at 7 °C ambient and still runs at −20 °C. Size on the coldest design day for northern sites.
- Water quality. Scale forms quickly above 60 °C. Use softened make-up and keep the heat pump loop closed, with process fluids on the far side of an exchanger or coil.
Service and warranty
Sunniva has supplied 5,000+ heat pumps since 2012, with nine service technicians across India, including remote sites such as Leh. All components carry a one-year warranty.