Industry veteran Stefan Jensen, L.AIRAH, has taken out the coveted James Harrison medal at the AIRAH Awards 2023.
The James Harrison Medal is the highest honour AIRAH can bestow upon an individual. Named after Australian refrigeration pioneer James Harrison, it recognises the highest levels of individual achievement in the Australian refrigeration and air conditioning industry.
Since leaving his native Denmark in 1983 for opportunities abroad, Stefan Jensen has become a stalwart of the Australian refrigeration industry, and a champion of ammonia systems.
As a tertiary student, Jensen was first introduced to the world of refrigeration through Svend E. Sørensen at the University of Southern Denmark.
On the day of his last examination, Jensen was offered a job at Danfoss. Three years later, he joined Sabroe and became involved in large heat pumps and specialised large-scale refrigeration plant for the chemical industry.
But by the early 1980s, the debt burden in Demark had increased rapidly, with the interest rate reaching levels beyond 20 per cent and the marginal tax rate for engineers a staggering 72 per cent.
Denmark’s loss was Australia’s considerable gain. And almost 40 years later, Jensen is regarded as one of Australia’s most experienced and respected industrial refrigeration engineers.
With ammonia refrigeration a specialty, Jensen, through his company Scantec Technologies, has designed systems for breweries, food-processing plants, and cold storage, among other types.
Renowned as a pioneer and expert in energy-efficient systems and natural refrigerants, Jensen is regularly called upon to deliver presentations at conferences around the world on the topic.