Buhler Ultra Low Emissions Plant

Bühler is building the world’s most advanced coffee processing plant. The facility, constructed for Norwegian coffee producer Joh. Johannson, combines innovative roasting technology with record low greenhouse gas emissions. Powered by carbon-neutral biogas, the ultra-low-emissions plant is located in Uzwil, Switzerland.

Espen Gjerde, c.e.o. of Joh. Johannson, says “With Bühler, we have found a solution partner that fully understands our sustainability concerns and is capable of putting them to practice.” The plant is designed to produce 12,000 metric tons of coffee a year and will being operations in mid-2019.

Stefan Schenker, head of Bühler’s coffee processing business unit, explains that “coffee continues to be a growth market with growth rates of about 3% worldwide. After the considerable efforts of processors to achieve sustainable sourcing of green coffee, the focus is now being increasingly set on the manufacturing process in the coffee factory.”

Coffee processing consumes a lot of energy: A factory with an annual processing capacity of 10,000 metric tons consumes roughly 870 kW – about as much as 100 Norwegian households.

Bühler is equipping the entire operation from green coffee intake to cleaning, blending, roasting, and grinding. The company modified its Infinity roaster with a unique preheating unit and a novel energy recovery system. The system collects heat using multiple heat exchangers allowing centralized intermediate storage of the energy released by the process in temperature-stratified water tanks. The energy stored is largely used for powering the same roasting process and preheating of green coffee; but may also be reused for heating incoming cold air and to heat the offices and laboratories.

“This technology reduces the energy consumption of the roasting process by 50%, which accounts for as much as 80% of the entire energy consumption,” according to Schenker. Solar cells will provide additional power making the plant self-sustaining.

“This project stands to boost our competitiveness in the marketplace,” says Gjerde. “The system’s energy consumption, slashed to the absolute minimum, is not only extremely sustainable, but also makes sound business sense. In the processing industries, energy accounts for as much as 10% of the total cost. We are now the world’s sole producer that can offer its customers top-quality coffee that has been produced as environmental- and climate-friendly as possible, with excellent taste,” he said.

Learn more: www.buhlergroup.com