Recently, the Shandong Provincial Department of Science and Technology and the Shandong Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment jointly released the "List of Green and Low-Carbon Technology Achievements in Shandong Province for 2024," and the "Waste Heat Recovery and Energy-Saving Drying Technology and Equipment" project submitted by Qingdao HICOCA Intelligent Equipment Technology Co., Ltd. was successfully selected.

"Low-carbon" is an essential aspect of energy conservation and emission reduction.  In the context of the "dual carbon" goal, technological upgrades of food processing equipment to achieve low-carbon production have become a driving force for the sustainable development of the food industry.  The focus of R&D is shifting towards ensuring green and healthy food production with low carbon emissions, incorporating green manufacturing and low-carbon operation into food processing equipment. In the production of noodles and rice noodles, Haikejia's intelligent equipment provides a comprehensive, automated solution from raw material processing to finished product packaging, achieving breakthroughs in energy saving and emission reduction.  Its energy-efficient drying system utilizes waste heat recovery technology, capturing waste heat from the exhaust air and using it to heat the drying chamber, thus improving drying efficiency. This recovers energy that would otherwise be wasted, reducing overall energy consumption. Furthermore, by reducing the use of traditional energy sources such as coal, it lowers greenhouse gas emissions, playing a crucial role in environmental protection.

Taking the drying of instant noodles as an example, regardless of product type and production capacity, the cost of drying using traditional methods ranges from 90 to 100 yuan per ton, and in some cases can reach as high as 200 yuan per ton—a consistently high cost. The application of waste heat recovery and energy-saving drying technology has significantly reduced the cost of drying one ton of instant noodles. To date, Haikejia has implemented energy-saving drying upgrades for over 50 instant noodle production lines in the industry. Based on data analysis of these projects, energy consumption is approximately 65 kWh/ton ±5% in summer and 95 kWh/ton ±5% in winter; the average annual energy consumption is no more than 80 kWh/ton, resulting in a cost reduction of over 40% compared to using a natural gas boiler.

My country is a major producer of staple foods such as rice noodles and instant noodles.  Waste heat recovery and energy-saving drying technology holds immense potential for environmental protection and can significantly reduce the drying costs for food processing enterprises, thus enhancing their market competitiveness.  This technology represents the future direction for energy-saving drying technology in the instant noodle industry. The selection of this green, low-carbon technology is a strong affirmation of and high expectation for Haikejia's efforts to promote green and low-carbon development in the industry. Haikejia will further promote the application of this new technology and, leveraging this opportunity, continue to drive innovation, accelerate the development of new technologies, reduce the cost of equipment manufacturing, and lower the initial investment required for noodle drying facilities and technology upgrades, thereby helping customers achieve their goals of green development, energy efficiency, and quality improvement.