The Sputnik System is a thermal disinfection unit for livestock transport vehicles: it forces large volumes of air above 75 °C into the trailer and holds that level for 15–20 minutes, inactivating the African swine fever (ASF) virus throughout the entire volume, including micro-crevices that chemical agents never reach. The heaters can be fuelled with biogas from an on-farm digester, cutting the cost of a single cycle to a minimum. The system was designed and implemented by Clima Line engineers.
Why is transport the critical point of biosecurity?
Losses in pig farming and meat processing caused by African swine fever run into millions of zloty, and the trailers and containers moving between farms, abattoirs and collection points are the main vector of transmission.
The problem with chemical disinfection is that its effectiveness depends on surface cleanliness, ambient temperature, contact time and operator diligence. In winter, with residues of organic matter left in the corners and floor gaps, the disinfectant simply does not reach where it is needed. Heat reaches everywhere. Thermal disinfection removes those variables: temperature and hold time are measurable, repeatable and can be recorded automatically as proof for veterinary inspection.
How does thermal disinfection work?
- Volumetric heating: a water heater generates large flows of hot air forced into the trailer, filling the entire volume instead of acting on the surface point by point. Hot air reaches gaps, joints and structural voids that pressure washing and spraying cannot.
- Process parameter: the temperature is held above 75 °C for 15–20 minutes. For comparison, according to WOAH data the ASF virus is inactivated at 60 °C held for 20 minutes, so Sputnik works with a clear safety margin.
- Control and recording: the automation logs the temperature over time for every cycle, which gives documented proof that the process was carried out instead of a driver's declaration.
- Biogas as an optional fuel: on farms with their own biogas plant the heater can use locally produced energy, which drastically lowers the operating cost of a cycle.
- No chemicals: no consumables, no post-disinfection effluent and no risk of corroding the trailer body.
Where does it apply?
- pig farms and livestock loading points,
- abattoirs and meat processing plants,
- transport bases of hauliers specialising in livestock,
- poultry farms and cattle operations: the same technology works against other heat-sensitive pathogens.
What does the implementation cover?
We deliver the installation turnkey: analysis of the volume and throughput of the disinfection point, selection of heater capacity and fuel source, station design including the structure, installation, automation with parameter logging, and operator training. After commissioning the installation is covered by our industrial HVAC service.
Projects are run from our base in Katowice. Clima Line has operated as a company since 2016, and its engineering team has worked together in Silesia since 2013.
What does the disinfection cycle look like, step by step?
- Pre-washing. Organic matter is removed from the walls and floor. No disinfection method, thermal or chemical, works through a layer of manure.
- Positioning and connecting the trailer. The vehicle drives onto the designated bay and is connected to the system.
- Heating the volume. The water heater forces a large flow of hot air into the interior. Circulation evens out the temperature in the recesses of the structure that the pressure washer lance cannot reach.
- Exposure. The temperature is held above 75 °C for 15–20 minutes.
- Cycle record. The automation logs the temperature over time and generates a cycle report: a document, not a driver's declaration.
For a typical trailer the whole cycle takes 30–45 minutes. Heating time depends on the volume of the body, the outdoor temperature and the heater capacity, which is why we ask about these three things before we state the throughput of a station in a quotation.
Beyond pigs: poultry and cattle
ASF is the most prominent reason why disinfection stations are built, but not the only one. The same mechanism serves other livestock sectors:
- Poultry: highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The virus can decimate a flock within a few days. Crates, containers and curtain-sided bodies used in poultry transport are structures with many gaps and closed profiles, where spray disinfection is inherently incomplete. Volumetric heating has no such limitation, because it does not depend on hitting the surface with a jet.
- Cattle: Salmonella and other bacterial pathogens. The problem is the same: the effectiveness of chemicals drops at low outdoor temperatures and depends on the diligence of the operator.
Each pathogen has its own inactivation threshold, so the process parameter is matched to the specific threat. The mechanism stays the same, though: the result is decided by the measured temperature and the time it is held, not by whether the operator reached every recess.
Implementation case study
A detailed English-language description of the implementation: Sputnik System: thermal disinfection of trailers against the ASF virus.
Frequently asked questions
How long does disinfecting one trailer take?
Holding the parameter itself takes 15–20 minutes. On top of that comes the time needed to heat the volume, which depends on the size of the trailer, the outdoor temperature and the heater capacity selected for the site's throughput. In practice the whole cycle usually stays under an hour.
Is thermal disinfection more effective than chemical disinfection?
It has different characteristics: it works on the whole volume, so it does not depend on whether the operator reached every crevice, and it does not lose effectiveness at low outdoor temperatures. It does not replace pre-washing, however: removing organic matter remains the first step.
Will the high temperature damage the trailer?
No. The process parameters are matched to the construction of the vehicle; 75–80 °C is safe for the body panels and fittings of livestock trailers and, unlike chemical disinfectants, hot air does not cause corrosion.
Can the system run on something other than biogas?
Yes. Biogas is an option that optimises the cost where the farm has its own biogas plant. The heater can also run on other heat sources available on site.
Does the system document the process?
Yes. The automation records the temperature over time for every cycle, so you can prove to your business partners and the veterinary services that disinfection was carried out.
Grant funding for biosecurity: what the 2026 call covered
The 2026 call, in which pig farmers in Poland could apply for funding of investments that reduce the risk of ASF, closed on 1 October 2026. It offered up to 100 000 PLN, at a support level of 80% of eligible costs. The catalogue of eligible costs explicitly listed equipping the farm with disinfection devices. The date of the next call has not been announced by ARiMR yet. We can show you what this amount realistically covers and what share of the budget for a disinfection station it pays for, so the scope and quotation are ready before the next call opens.
Considering thermal disinfection at your site?
Tell us about the traffic at your loading point and the type of vehicles you handle: we will select the heater capacity and fuel source and prepare a quotation for the station. Contact us, call +48 32 450 56 66 or write to biuro@clima-line.pl.