Coca Cola Europacific Partners

Cooling more efficiently for a better climate

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), the largest Coca-Cola bottler, aims to be climate neutral by 2040. This goal represents a major undertaking for the global beverage manufacturer, both conceptually and technologically. Alongside reusability concepts and raw material strategies, one of the key changes is replacing old cooling units in the production facilities. Innovative cooling units from Rittal's Blue e+ series can effectively reduce energy consumption.

Overview

Project
Blue e+ cooling units in CCEP bottling plants
Location
, Germany
Challenge

Ambitious climate targets, saving energy in the bottling plants
 

Planning and implementing the large-scale replacement of cooling devices in a globally operating company
 

Solution

Test measurements showed that the technology of Blue e+ cooling units can save 90% of the energy consumed
 

Rittal has dimensioned each cooling unit precisely to the actual requirements 
 

Rittal had prepared the replacement at each plant very thoroughly
 

A core team was formed, trained by Rittal and entrusted with the replacement across all locations 
 

I carried out measurements to compare an old unit and a new Rittal model over a twelve-month period. The energy requirements were 90 percent lower.”
Mario Drescher, Environment and Energy Coordinator at CCEP

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) operates over 50 bottling plants in Western Europe. Since 2017, the beverage company has been doing much to achieve climate neutrality by 2040. In Germany, Mario Drescher is CCEP's Environment and Energy Coordinator. He first had all the cooling units at the Genshagen production site replaced by Rittal's more energy-efficient Blue e+ cooling units. By taking comparative measurements over 12 months, he could prove that their energy consumption is 90 per cent lower than the old devices. This made it clear that the decision would reduce the carbon footprint of bottling plants worldwide.

Thanks to the hybrid technology of Blue e+ devices from Rittal, these cooling units ensure an ideal climate in the enclosure and the lowest possible energy consumption. The hybrid technology is based on two cooling technologies: a compressor and a heat pipe. By combining hybrid technology with intelligent control technology, innovative refrigerant and data analysis, the device can optimally adjust its performance to the respective application. This prolongs the service life of the components installed in the enclosure and reduces the risk of failure during filling.

Comprehensive replacement

CCEP in Germany benefits from this at all its sites. First, Rittal analysed the cooling output requirements of each installation at the German locations to propose precisely dimensioned units. In some places, the need for cooling outputs was higher than before, while in others, it was lower. Rittal then replaced the cooling units at each plant.

The cooling solutions’ energy efficiency is a big plus for CCEP, but not the only benefit. The beverage producer also requires maximum system availability to ensure on-time deliveries and thus satisfied customers. “Our lines need to keep running, even during increasingly hot summers. Anything that helps reliably prevent downtime is good, and that includes perfect cooling of the enclosures to ensure the technology doesn’t overheat,” continues Drescher.