Webster Fresh is the only large-commercial producer of quality walnuts in Australia, and has as a part of its Australian operations some 650 hectares of walnut trees in Tasmania. These trees are harvested in early autumn and produce walnuts that if dried and stored appropriately, can be stored for many months without deterioration.
With this goal in mind, Webster Fresh approached Degree C to design and manufacture a highly specialised Walnut Drying Facility complete with In-feed and Out-feed conveyor systems.
The Degree C team willingly embraced the challenge, especially that of designing such a unique and large scale facility to Webster’s requirements. The final design comprised 5 large bins, each capable of holding 6 tonnes of freshly harvested walnuts, and drying these to around 8–10% moisture level (equivalent to some 4 tonnes of dried product). The total drying capacity is 20,000kg, with drying achieved using a 1000kW gas heating system. In a project that took approximately 4 months from initial design to final installation stages, the bulk of the facility was fabricated in Degree C’s large Devonport-based workshop, and then transported to Webster Fresh’s site for installation and set-up.
Heat Pumps 
