Coca-Cola China – Mo Shi – 2018

Goals

Shanghai Shenmei, one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in China, is interested in installing air-source heat pump in its 24/7 bottling manufacturing lines. EDF Climate Corps fellow Mo Shi was brought on board to analyze whether a steam heat pump could be used to regulate the temperatures of the bottles during the filling process. Currently, the majority of production lines use bottle warmers to stabilize the carbonize dioxide added to the beverage, which creates condensation and therefore problems for packaging.

Solutions

Shi conducted a feasibility and safety liability study on the installation of a steam pump. The air source heat pump takes cool air in, heats it up when the air travels through a steam compressor where the temperature is higher, then turns the intake air into hot water, and finally releases cooler air on the other side. The released air can be used to cool down and improve working environments for employees.

Shi performed financial analysis, which showed it was a cost-effective project to pursue. However, the high upfront cost of the pump and installation prevented the company from considering direct financing of the project. With the positive results of the financial analysis, Shi further developed a comprehensive business plan and budget proposal, before reaching out to local vendors and Energy Service Companies (ESCos) for alternative financing options. Through a bidding and contracting process, the select energy service company would be responsible for all upfront cost and maintenance within the contract period, eliminating any risk for Coca-Cola around implementing this new advanced technology.

Potential Impact

Since air-source heat pump is a scalable solution with relatively shorter payback period, our project this summer could be a strong business show case with alternative financing options. If successful, the technology could be scaled to other manufacturing lines.