Last week, Nordic Sugars new silo was inaugurated at the sugar factory in Örtofta, Sweden. The silo is an investment of 190 million SEK (Swedish Krona) (US$22.6 million) and will almost double the storage capacity at the factory. This increases efficiency and further strengthens the competitiveness of Swedish sugar industry.

The silo was inaugurated by Jacob Bennet, Chairman of the Swedish beet growers, Olof Dahlgren, Head of Sugar Factory Örtofta, Johan Andersson Chairman of the municipal council in Eslöv. 

The new silo can store up to 80,000 tons of sugar and will increase the efficiency of the entire production chain from production to energy consumption and logistics.

The silo provides advantages for both the environment and production. It means that fewer transports and re-loadings must be made and also provides a more even production in the service center. “As we can pack the sugar gradually, we do not need large stocks of prepackaged products. This fact provides another advantage; the silo makes it possible for us to efficiently ensure that our product maintains exactly the quality our customers want,” says Olof Dahlgren, Head of Sugar Factory Örtofta.

The sugar silo in Örtofta is an investment of 190 million SEK. Together with heavy investments recently made to reduce the plants energy consumption by 30 percent, Nordic Sugar has invested more than 400 million SEK over the last five years in strategic projects to ensure the competitiveness of Swedish sugar production.

“We want to offer locally grown sugar to our customers. Therefore, we are specifically investing in the efficiency of our factories, in warehousing, logistics and product quality. This is crucial, not least in view of the recent liberalization of the EU sugar market, which means that quota systems and minimum prices for beet disappear at the same time as export restrictions are eliminated. The investments in Örtofta are essential contributions to ensuring that Swedish sugar industry remains strong towards future challenges,” says Katarina Silfversparre, Managing Director of Nordic Sugar AB.

2016/2017, approximately 336,000 tons of sugar were produced at Örtofta. The sugar factory has 147 employees and during the intensive sugar production campaign from September to January, another 70 people work at the factory.