Group says its Retrofit option could decrease energy consumption in ripening rooms by 70 per cent, while it is also ready to introduce Ripe Pilot to customers

Ripening room specialist Interko has said it is ready to introduce its Ripe Pilot control system to customers worldwide.

Interko Axesso ripening room

Ripe Pilot is equipped with a fail-safe mode, a sensor-based programme that ”helps operators go one step further in monitoring, automating, and tracing their ripening process”.

Interko is also championing Retrofit, which consists of fans that are able to be monitored and controlled in a way that can reduce energy consumption in ripening rooms.

“We have carried out tests in a facility in Germany,” explained Chris Maat, managing director at Interko, “both the customer and ourselves were impressed with the results.

”By using Retrofit, we were able to generate the same differential pressure, resulting in a 70 per cent reduction in energy consumption,” he noted. ”Electricity prices remain very high, so RoI in this case is very quick.”

Answering the question if Retrofit and Ripe Pilot can only be offered with new installations, Maat said: “Ripe Pilot is compatible with most existing ripening systems in the world. So, with only a few small changes in the existing ripening room, savings on electricity can be made.

”Rebuilding ripening rooms from scratch is by no means necessary. Each installation is considered individually and a thorough examination of the facility is conducted before we can make the necessary upgrade recommendations.”

He outlined that while Interko would include Ripe Pilot in all new installations worldwide, the Retrofit option would only be made available to customers within Europe.

In recent years, Interko has been focusing on raising efficiency and reducing the use of raw materials, in order to cut costs for its customers.

The Dutch company recently introduced Reverso 2.0 fans, which it has said reduces operational costs by 20 per cent for ripeners.

Maat noted that Interko could install ripening rooms with all the latest innovative technologies for retailers, wholesalers, distributors and importers in Asia and worldwide.

The group’s ripening room lineup consists of four state-of-the-art ripening rooms, namely Axesso, Ultimo, Optimo and Mobilo.

Between these four rooms, customers can ripen bananas, avocados, tomatoes, pears, mangoes, papayas, apricots, peaches and kiwifruit.

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