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PRE-COOLING AND FRUIT HANDLING

Due to the size of the facility and volumes that Hexkoel handles, the facility is an industry leader in the field of precooling and fruit storage.

In 2022, Hexkoel completed its most recent expansion which added storage space for a further 4 100 pallets and today the facility has a storage capacity of 17 600 pallets. The expansion included a service passage between existing and new rooms and an airlock loading out area with four truck loading bays. The total new area constructed is ±10,500 m² and the project’s budget has been approximately ZAR 95 million.

There are times during the harvest when Hexkoel takes delivery of 2500 pallets per day, mostly arriving after 18h00, and load up to 140 12m containers daily. These volumes are staggering for smaller facilities and as a result, Hexkoel is often used as an example for other fruit industry service providers to visit in order to study the various facets of the facility’s operations. These include the technology and accreditation systems that apply to a facility of this size.

Self Sufficient Energy Generation

As the main purpose of Hexkoel is to establish and maintain the cold chain for the grapes in cooling and holding rooms, energy self-sufficiency is crucial.

In response to the South African energy crisis, Hexkoel has invested approximately ZAR 20 million in generator capacity during the past five years. When the Eskom power supply fails, Hexkoel runs the entire facility at 4.1 Megawatt, maintaining the temperature levels without interrupting the cooling service.

Forklifts are also indispensable at Hexkoel and in order to keep the facility’s 30 forklifts running, Hexkoel has a considerable bank of forklift batteries on charge in the dedicated forklift battery charging facility.

Sustainability

INTERNAL INDUCTION LIGHTING

As part the facility’s carbon footprint reduction policy, in 2012 Hexkoel replaced the conventional industrial lights (in excess of 350 lights) inside the cooling storage area with internal induction lights. This change also led to a significant savings on electricity and this represented a considerable immediate and ongoing saving. As the new lights produce less radiant light and almost no heat has also resulted in secondary power saving as the load on the cooling generators is reduced. This installation was the first of its kind by a large facility within the South African Fruit sector.

WATER RECYCLING

A further example of our sustainable policy is that Hexkoel has been recycling water for 25 years. The facility has been constructed with stormwater channels below floor level and rainwater and water from defrosting refrigeration coils are collected by this drainage system and channeled to a catchment dam. Water collected in the drainage system is then pumped to the facility’s reservoir dams.

Partnership Accreditation

SA GAP/QSCert is a Management System Certification Body and Training Provider specializing in Food Safety and Quality Management Systems. The company consists of two divisions, an accredited certification division (QSCert-South Africa) and a training division (SA GAP).

The Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime treaty which sets minimum safety standards in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships. This safety standard includes the establishment and monitoring of the exact weight of all containers for shipment by seagoing vessels. In order to comply with this safety standard, the containers of grapes leaving Hexkoel for shipment are weighed after loading has been completed.

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