KESTON AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Forming a sweet addition to its high profile installations, Keston Boilers has won the contract to install six Keston C55 condensing boilers into Barry Callebaut Manufacturing (UK) in Banbury. The world's leading manufacturer of high quality cocoa, chocolate and confectionery products required a high quality, reliable system for which Keston is renowned.

The Banbury manufacturing unit occupies 20,000sq m, employs 220 staff and is heaven for chocoholics, producing over 100,000 tonnes of chocolate per year for a wide range of customers, including industrial food manufacturers, professional caterers and retailers.

The reliability factor was key to the installation as the fully modulating boilers will be used to heat water that is pumped through a sleeved pipe, the internal section of which carries the chocolate molten at 45 degrees Celsius to the machines, where it is then pressed into shape for a variety of chocolate brands. If the boilers were to fail, the chocolate would harden and block the pipes, so causing major problems in the production process.

The six units, producing a 330kW output, were provided within a specially modified water manifold to accommodate the extra requirements for this process application and avoid cross contamination of the water.

Reducing harmful environmental emissions and energy consumption was also important to Barry Callebaut to complement the company’s “green” ethos. All of Keston’s condensing boilers are highly energy efficient, SEDBUK A-rated and fully reliable. Products have minimal CO and NOx emissions, which, in turn, provides the user with greatly reduced running costs and virtually no atmospheric pollution and enables them to benefit from the Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme.

Barry Humphries, project engineer at Barry Callebaut, commented: “Keston was selected in preference to its competitors as it ticked all the boxes and offered not only a competitive price but also, most importantly, a quality product, coupled with an excellent reputation for reliability and service. The condensing boilers are an essential part of the infrastructure in maintaining an efficient production process and any breakdown would have huge repercussions. Using high energy efficiency products also minimises the impact of our heating equipment on the environment and enables us to claim enhanced capital allowances for the installation, an added financial benefit on top of lower fuel bills and reliability.”