IQF & Blast Freezing
IQF Blast Freezer Line — Ho Chi Minh
Turnkey IQF spiral freezer line for a Vietnamese seafood exporter — 6 t/h capacity, EU export compliant, NH3 refrigeration.
Location
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Capacity
6 tonnes/hour IQF throughput
Temperature
−40 °C air-blast
Budget
USD $6.5M–$8M
Timeline
11 months
Project overview
An exporter of shrimp and pangasius to the EU and Japan needed a new IQF line to unlock higher-value SKUs. ColdMatch Group ran a 5-supplier competitive tender covering freezer, refrigeration plant, MHE and integration with the existing processing hall.
Challenge
- Existing plate freezers limited product mix to bulk-frozen blocks — 40% lower ASP than IQF.
- Sanitary and traceability requirements for EU and Japan export were not met by two of the shortlisted OEMs.
- Very tight footprint inside an operating plant with no production stoppage allowed beyond a 2-week window.
Solution
- Specified a compact double-drum spiral freezer with hygienic open-frame design and CIP.
- Two-stage NH3 refrigeration (2 × 900 kW) with heat recovery to pre-heat CIP water.
- Modular pre-fabrication and off-hours installation to hold the 14-day changeover window.
Result
- Commissioned inside the 14-day production window.
- Product mix shifted 65% into higher-margin IQF SKUs within 4 months.
- Specific energy 0.28 kWh per kg frozen — best-in-class for the region.
Scope of works
- Spiral IQF freezer, sanitary design
- Ammonia refrigeration plant with heat recovery
- Sanitary conveyors and metal detection
- Refrigerated buffer and packing area
- EU / Japan export documentation support
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