The 5.2 MW project in Scotland awarded the 2021 City of the Year prize by EHPA

Vahterus are delighted at the decision of the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) to award West Dunbartonshire Council, Vital Energi and Star Renewable Energy the ‘2021 City of the Year’ prize for their work on the Queens Quay heat pump project. Our congratulations to all involved!

We are honoured that Star Refrigeration chose Vahterus Plate & Shell Heat Exchangers to be an integral part of such an iconic project, the first of it’s kind in Scotland!

Queens Quay is the UK’s first 80C river source heat pump. Located on the site of the former John Brown shipyard that launched over 400 vessels including the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and QEII (hence the name Queens Quay), the heat pumps draw salt water from the Clyde Estuary. Two units each capable of 2.65MW using ammonia as the working fluid were design and manufactured in Glasgow by Star Refrigeration for the main contractor Vital Energi on behalf of the owners West Dunbartonshire Council.

'Star are a demanding customer, but we always know there is a reason', says Paul Button, Director at Vahterus UK. 'In total we ended up supplying eight heat exchangers, recovering heat from four parts of the process. It might seem complex, but to see the end result really is worth it. Clean heat for the district heating network, eliminating the need to burn fossil fuels. To see this project recognised as one of the “most efficient, smart and sustainable heat pump projects across Europe” is a very proud moment for Vahterus.'

Commenting on the Queens Quay project, Manager of Star Renewable Energy, Nicky Cowan says, 'Heat pumps whilst an old concept not well known, are relatively simple. The hard bit is to get the best performance and that’s where the challenge begins. Star aim to harness every piece of available heat in various heat exchange processes, but they all interact. I’m really grateful to Paul at Vahterus for his diligence, patience and quick responses that helped us iterate our way to success.'

Rebecca Casale

Key Account Manager at Vahterus UK