Catering Facility

Q-Catering Facility Brisbane Airport

In March 2012 Scantec was awarded the prestigious mechanical services contract for the new Qantas Catering Facility situated at the Brisbane Airport. The existing catering facility was to be removed to make way for a new runway.

The new plant represents another milestone in the advancement of the natural refrigerant ammonia within applications that were previously reserved for synthetic refrigerants. Not only are the food processing areas cooled with ammonia. The administration offices are air conditioned with chilled water, which in turn is supplied from the central NH3 refrigeration system.

The central dual stage NH3 refrigeration system comprises three Johnson Controls screw compressors and three SABROE CMO38 reciprocating compressors. Of the three screw compressors, two are duty machines, the third is a common standby. Two of the three screw compressors are speed controlled by means of variable frequency drives. One screw compressor is dedicated to the chilled water loop and the second screw compressor is dedicated to the propylene glycol circuit servicing the process areas. The three low temperature reciprocating compressors service the spiral chiller that cools the beverages as well as two freezer rooms.

Commissioning of the new plant was completed January 2013. Scantec remains responsible for the day to day operation of the refrigeration system. The close proximity of Scantec Head Office to the rapidly growing Brisbane Airport precinct ensures that Scantec is well positioned to maintain the new facility now and in the future. The Q-Catering Facility represents the second major Qantas facility serviced by a Scantec refrigeration plant. In 2000 Scantec completed the first subcritical CO2 refrigeration system in the Southern hemisphere in modern times. This CO2 plant services the Qantas SnapFresh catering facility at Crestmead, Brisbane.

At a Glance

  • Cooling Capacity of the Propylene Glycol Loop 650 kW
  • Cooling Capacity of the Chilled Water Loop 700 kW
  • Low Temperature Cooling Capacity 240 kW
  • Three Screw Compressors - Two with Speed Control
  • Three Reciprocating Low Temperature Compressors
  • Two Chilled Water/NH3 Plate Heat Exchangers
  • Two Propylene Glycol/NH3 Plate Heat Exchangers
  • Custom Engineered Air Handling Units for Process Areas
  • Penthouse Evaporator Assembly for the Freezer Store