GEA technology to take center stage in carbon-neutral smoothie factory
Düsseldorf (Germany), May 19, 2020 - Global process technology and solutions provider, GEA, has been chosen by innocent Ltd., a leading European smoothie and juice manufacturer, as a key technology partner for the design and construction of what will be an industry-leading, carbon-neutral juice manufacturing plant in the Netherlands. Scheduled to open in 2021, the innocent facility will produce 400 million bottles of chilled juice every year for the European market, which amounts to about 60 percent of the company's annual production of bottled juices.
In a move that could change the way many foods and drinks are manufactured in the future, innocent is investing a total of USD 250 million in their groundbreaking facility, which is being built at the new Rotterdam Food Hub, in the city's harbor area. The plant solution hinges on a sustainably designed process and green technologies from GEA, with a focus on maximizing energy, resource efficiency and reducing waste. The aim is for the plant to rely on renewable energy sources and harness energy recycling systems from GEA.
GEA has worked with the company to configure optimized solutions for key process steps, including handling raw materials, batch mixing and pasteurization, and will supply efficient refrigeration solutions plant wide. A GEA heat pump will then recycle waste heat from the refrigeration systems and reuse it in other process steps, such as heating for pasteurization. GEA has also tailored automated clean-in-place solutions for the process equipment, which will save on water and chemical usage, as well as reducing manual tasks and equipment downtime.
"The site will be a showcase for sustainability in the beverage manufacturing industry. Constructing the plant at the Rotterdam port also means saving on millions of road transportation miles each year, which will cut the company's annual supply chain mileage by 25 percent. innocent estimates that this one, carbon neutral plant will allow it to cut its overall carbon footprint by 10 percent. But it's not all about reducing carbon footprint. With GEA's help, innocent wants to challenge the traditional way of designing, building and operating a production site by offering an inspiring, people-friendly and healthy environment for its roughly 190 employees it plans to recruit. We are very proud to partner with innocent in delivering our combined vision for an end-to-end concept for process planning and technology. We're providing more than just a collection of machines, but rather a 360-degree approach to processes, which is in fact what generates the greatest added value," explains Stefan Klebert, CEO of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft.
Sam Woollett, Engineering and Facilities Lead for innocent, adds, "Our company's core mission is to develop ambitious goals and tackle things with an open mind. GEA was right on target with its fresh ideas and is delivering what's important to us."
The innocent project is one of the largest that GEA has undertaken in this process area and has involved working in true partnership with innocent from day one, including experts from GEA Netherlands, who will support innocent throughout the design, configuration and installation process. GEA will also continue to provide tailored service and support for the plant and its key stakeholders.
Corporate Media & Press:
Marc Pönitz
Peter-Müller-Str. 12, 40468 Düsseldorf, Germany
Phone +49 211 9136-1500
[email protected]
About GEA
GEA is one of the largest suppliers for the food processing industry and of related industries that generated consolidated revenues of over EUR 4.9 billion in 2019. The international technology group specializes in machinery, and plants as well as process technology and components. GEA provides sustainable energy solutions for sophisticated production processes in various end-user markets and offers a comprehensive service portfolio. The group generates around 70 percent of its revenue in the food and beverages sector that enjoys long-term sustainable growth. As of December 31, 2019, the company employed about 18,500 people worldwide. The company is listed on the German MDAX (G1A, WKN 660 200), the STOXX(R) Europe 600 Index as well as the DAX 50 ESG Index and selected MSCI Global Sustainability Indexes. Further information is available on the Internet at gea.com.
Contact
GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft
Phone +49 (0)211 9136 1081
Fax +49 (0)211 9136 31087
gea.com
19.05.2020 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Archive at www.dgap.de
