Ohly makes significant progress in its decarbonisation efforts by opening new facilities

Ohly will inaugurate a new spray drying tower and cutting-edge fermentation facility in Hamburg next year.

With their investment in these new production facilities, Ohly and Associated British Foods say the move reinforces their long-standing commitment to the city and make critical progress on their journey towards decarbonisation and a more sustainable future.

New fermentation tanks arrived by special night-time delivery. On arrival the fermenters were carefully lifted and guided into position in the new fermentation plant at the heart of the Ohly site.

The new fermentation plant, thought to be one of the largest and most modern in Europe, uses the latest innovative technology to increase production capacity by up to 50% whilst simultaneously reducing specific energy consumption. The state-of-the art facility also offers great advantages in terms of reducing water consumption with more efficient cooling towers and lower levels of freshwater use. In addition, the new automated system will enable significant reductions in packaging waste by replacing the traditional 25kg bags with so-called ‘big bags’, which each carry up to 1000kg.

“Our goal is to achieve the highest microbiological standards and at the same time continuously reduce our environmental impact,” says Rüdiger Briel, engineer and project manager at Ohly.

A new heat recovery system will allow Ohly to conserve and reuse thermal energy that would previously have been wasted. The energy recovered is equivalent to the energy needed to heat 800 homes.

In addition to bringing energy efficiencies, the new plant will adopt the latest hygiene standards which guarantee sustainable cleaning. It also meets the highest level of occupational safety, thanks to automated systems which facilitate ergonomic operation. With a digital and automated control system, all production processes are controlled and measured bringing Ohly another step closer to Industry 4.0. “Our focus is on ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees while maintaining the highest levels of product quality – digitisation is key,” emphasises Rüdiger Briel.

Ensuring a reliable and secure supply chain is vital to Ohly’s customer commitment. These investments in state-of-the-art fermentation and spray drying facilities, together with Ohly’s robust supply chain management practices and strategic partnerships, are designed to minimise disruptions and guarantee product availability.

These developments will further enhance Ohly’s ability to deliver exceptional products and services, strengthening their commitment to meeting their customers’ needs.

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