Norwegian coffee producer Joh. Johannson Kaffe has built “the first ultra-low CO2-footprint coffee processing plant” with technology from Bühler. 

The new plant in Vestby, Norway, emits 85 percent less CO2 than conventional coffee production facilities, saving energy and costs.

Bühler reports increasing demand for ultra-low emission coffee processing plants as companies are pushed further by consumers and governments to become more sustainable. 

The energy-friendly plant could serve as a model for other producers of coffee, suggests Daniel Egy, head of business unit chocolate and coffee at Bühler.

He calls the plant’s current operation “a sign for all industrial coffee producers.”

Bühler supplied the entire processing technology: from green coffee intake to cleaning, blending, roasting, grinding. The company also provided plant automation. 

Reduction during roasting
The energy-intensive roasting process accounts for more than 70 percent of the total energy consumption of this type of coffee processing plant.

“In the roasting process alone, our solutions allow energy savings of around 50 percent, which translates directly into lower production costs,” says Egy. 

The heat of the roasting process is recovered by heat exchangers that heat water up to 100 degrees Celsius. It is then sent to accumulator tanks in an energy center. 

Most of the energy stored in this way is reused for the same roasting process and for preheating the coffee beans. 

Capturing energy 
The incoming cold air is also heated in this way. In addition, the planned plant has one of the most modern emission control systems for roasting systems by regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO). 

This process renders the plant’s exhaust gases harmless by burning off organic matter. 

Excess energy stored in the accumulator tanks is used to heat the offices and laboratories or for other purposes in the building. 

The total balance of electric power required by the factory is covered by huge photovoltaic solar cells.

Roasting with auto-correctAt the heart of the coffee processing plant and responsible for the extremely low-emission production is the InfinityRoast with its green coffee preheating unit. 

At Joh. Johannson Kaffe, Bühler combined this with a novel energy recovery system as well as an energy-efficient emission control system. 

The InfinityRoast’s auto-corrective control system constantly modulates the energy input to the roasting chamber to ensure that the flavor develops according to Joh. Johannson Kaffe’s specifications.

“Bühler showed that they could provide solutions for all our complex requirements and maintain the flavor of our coffee. That’s why we implemented the project with them as a full-service provider,” says Bengt Ove Bitnes Hagen.

Green dreams
Joh. Johannson Kaffe awarded the construction contract for its new coffee processing plant to Bühler in June 2017. 

The goal was to achieve the lowest greenhouse gas emissions at high productivity and a consistent product flavor. 

Today, the new plant has been in operation for about ten months and is expected to soon go to full capacity production in three shifts. 

At maximum capacity, the plant will produce up to 12,000 tons of coffee per year.