Carrier has supplied three high efficiency AquaForce heat pumps with a combined capacity of 5.0 MW for an innovative project harnessing energy from a local river.

The project, which received approval from the UK’s Environment Agency, utilises Carrier’s electrically-driven AquaForce 30XWHV water-to-water heat pumps. The units capture renewable energy from a local river and upgrade it to higher temperatures for use in an agricultural facility in North East England.

The installation serves a process drying application and contributes to the site’s domestic heating system, with Carrier’s Greenspeed variable speed compressor technology optimising energy consumption all year round. 

“This is the first project of its kind in the UK involving an open river water-source for which Carrier has supplied heat pump equipment,” James Meadows, an applied product sales engineer for Carrier, said. “Given the proven reliability and efficiency of the Carrier AquaForce machine, and the growth in use of sustainable energy sources, we believe this approach has significant potential to expand in the future as the approach is rolled out and new applications found.”

Carrier’s water-to-water heat pumps are designed as a premium solution for commercial and industrial applications where clients require maximum efficiency and performance, especially at part load. They are equipped with advanced inverter-driven screw compressors, developed from Carrier’s proven twin-rotor screw design.

Based on R-134a refrigerant, the units have flooded evaporators that can be mechanically cleaned as part of normal maintenance procedures to ensure continued optimum performance.