MINI ICE PLANT BUSINESS
SOPREX Foundation endeavors to make available for free our
knowledge base in appropriate technology for sustainable
development. Our free downloads are designed to help users
prepare their own project studies. Hence, as to your inquiry on
technical details, may I suggest that you first make a thorough
analysis of your situation, particularly the market aspects. Any ice
plant, mini or medium to large, needs to be justified by lack of
local supply or prohibitive cost of the available ice supply. If there
is already good and affordable supply from a nearby town (if your
town has none) then it might be better to operate just a cold
store and engage in cold storage of fish and buy and sell ice. You
can download from our website the info brochure on the mini-cold
store.
Please note the selling prices in our Pre-FS - these may need to
be updated; check with the current prices in your locality. Also
note that the biggest sales income stream is from sale of crystal
ice which may not be relevant in a small fishing community.
Once your market is established then you can proceed to the
technical aspects. The mini-ice plant may be too small for your
need. This Pre-FS is based on a used plant facility in Cagayan de
Oro which they were selling in favor of larger set-ups, meaning
no longer the best set-up in a big city. It was locally fabricated
hence there is local expertise here in Northern Mindanao.
The plant layout and other specifics depend on the scale and the
equipment you choose. This you can discover for yourself by
contacting the suppliers in the yellow pages. Do a round-up of
these suppliers with your technical queries and then you can have
a better basis for choosing the best set-up for your case.
Suppliers normally give all technical info and at least a simple
cost-benefit analysis, part of their pre-sales service.
One thing, however, is an absolute must: adequate supply of
good quality (potable) water. If your feed water is hard or
seawater-intruded, it's goodbye to the project unless you are
prepared for higher cost set-ups for seawater flake ice only for
fishery icing. Good water makes for crystal/hard ice that freezes
faster but melts longer! Therefore, better marketability of your
ice supply.
Here is another techno-tip: visit or contact the auctioneers in
Subic for reconditioned refrigerated vans which can be instant
cold stores with the added advantage that they run on diesel
engines. They can also be converted for ice-making by simply
adding a brine tank with freon (R10) refrigerating system. In
times of peak prices for crude oil you can always shift to crude
coconut oil which I expect was much cheaper in your place than
diesel months ago (May-June 2008).
Any Project needs funds for Pre-Operating Expenses. Same as in
this project. So, this is as far as we can go for the freebies. For
any further technical assistance, you will need to help us defray
the cost of the services, but, because of the distance, this will
have to be on-line coaching/mentoring.
With all the best wishes in your undertakings!
ROSELLO C. MACANSANTOS
Executive Director
Southern Philippines Research and Extension Foundation
(SOPREX), Inc.
Website: http://soprex.wordpress.com/
____________________________________________________
We do not sell ice plants but provide technical assistance to
interested parties in planning and implementing their projects in
their chosen location.
Since we are based in Mindanao, it will be too expensive for our
consulting team to visit you and your site in Manila. What I can
suggest you to do is look up the yellow pages and call up
providers of ice plants. They will give you the schematic design
and costs of fabrication/installation.
However, it is best to contract a consultant as a third party to
review and validate the supplier's claims. Also it is good practice
to do a good feasibility study (FS) and business plan first before
you make a decision to buy and construct. You need to know your
demand-supply situation and how and in what scale you can
enter the market. This we can do for you on-line for a minimal
consultancy fee.
For a preliminary feasibility study (Pre-FS) our standard fee is
P25,000. The full FS will cost you from 5% to 10% of the
estimated total project cost as indicated in the Pre-FS.
Very truly yours,
ROSELLO C. MACANSANTOS, Executive Director
Southern Philippines Research and Extension Foundation
(SOPREX), Inc.
Website: http://soprex.wordpress.com/