Reducing A Brewery’s Energy And Water Use

Alcoholic drinks are a sensitive topic in Indonesia. Although it is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, it is also a pluralist and secular nation. For this reason, the government eschews a total ban on alcohol but does take measures to reduce consumption. That means there are strict quotas on the domestic production of alcoholic drinks, and distribution channels are closely controlled and monitored.

Case study beer indonesia content

For drinks companies in the country, this represents a challenge: how to maintain or even increase profits without exceeding yearly production quotas. The answer for one of the country’s largest breweries, located in West Java and responsible for a wide range of beer brands, was to improve their refrigeration system while at the same time, saving energy. This was particularly important at a time when global energy price hikes were impacting businesses in the country. Saving water was also a factor, because Indonesia has suffered badly from drought in recent years: the island of Java has been hardest hit, with water deficits expected to last until at least 2070.

The brewery contacted Güntner because they needed to replace some old, galvanized cooling towers that were suffering from bare coil leakage and casing deterioration. The proposed solution entailed the installation of two ECOSS Evaporative Condensers for the whole refrigeration system, which uses natural refrigerants.

While no larger nor less affordable than traditional cooling towers, the innovative ECOSS Evaporative Condensers use only half as much water and energy. They come fitted with highly energy-efficient EC fans, while intelligent sensors and Güntner’s aicore™ air controller enable advanced features such as automatic purging and soft fan startup, and speed modulation, allowing for even more water and energy savings.

“IN OUR OPINION, ECOSS™ IS SECOND TO NONE WHEN IT COMES TO EVAPORATIVE CONDENSERS. THE EC FANS OPERATE VERY SMOOTHLY, AND IT’S A UNIQUE AND COMPACT DESIGN WITH A SMALL FOOTPRINT.”
IWAN SATIADINATA SYSTEM INSTALLER, AJM

The units are also durable. Their stainless steel design is more resistant to corrosion and scaling, leading to less, or even zero, dependence on chemical water treatment as long as the specified water parameters are met. The welded sump prevents leakages, avoids heavy metal deposits, and decreases the required volume of cooling water by half, thanks to its optimized funnel shape. The inlet louvers are designed to protect from water leakage and UV light—and, therefore, the formation of algae, bacteria, and fungi.

To make maintenance easier, the units have hinged louvers and fan panels as well as a central walkway for easy inspection. Installation and commission are straightforward, with plug-and-play controls and only two lightweight parts that can be easily transported and put together without special screws or sealing tape.

The upgraded refrigeration system, completed in 2021, has turned out to be a big success for the brewery, not only increasing refrigeration performance but also bringing a major reduction in energy use.

“THE FINAL RESULT HAS BEEN A 7.5% SAVING ON THE PLANT’S ELECTRICITY BILL, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT BOOST FOR THE COMPANY’S BOTTOM LINE AND ALSO AN IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENT AT A TIME WHEN REDUCING THE GLOBAL USE OF FOSSIL FUELS HAS BECOME IMPERATIVE.”
DAVID WIDJANARKO POERWOSUNU SALES MANAGER, GÜNTNER

“In the long term, I believe the company will find the ROI on the ECOSS™ product to be even more substantial when they also take into account the easy maintenance and long-lasting durability,” adds David Widjanarko Poerwosunu.