Innovation
Investing in the future
With respect for tradition, with a vision for the future
The Banská Bystrica brewery is also keeping up with the times and since 2007 it has spent more than 15 million euros on modernisation of technologies, production processes and equipment, renovation of buildings and reduction of energy consumption.
The biggest investments were the purchase and replacement of equipment that meet the modern high demands in the production process – a line for bottling beer into cans, a line for filling kegs, a bottle washer and filler, a labeller, a robotic arm and automatic palletising and depalletising.
Further investments were made in the upgrade of lighting throughout the brewery, insulation of the administration building, modernisation of the sample shop and the staff canteen. The purpose of these investments was and is the reduction of operational and energy requirements, i.e. greening of production, as well as the growth and stabilization of the added value and revenues of the company. However, the scale of investment is much larger, and last but not least, they have helped the brewery to move forward and become the most awarded Slovak brewery.
15+ million €
invested since 2007 in the modernisation of
2 new lines
for bottling cans and filling kegs
100 %
ecological lighting and heating
#1
the most awarded Slovak brewery
1) Modernization of cooling using residual heat
Despite the adherence to the traditional brewing process, of which we are rightly very proud, today’s times are placing more and more emphasis on environmentally friendly and economical solutions. And one of them was a project that ensured the modernization of the cooling system needed to cool the cellars where the beer sits during the production process.
A new modern cooling tower and heat exchanger were installed in the existing cooling system to recover the heat generated as waste during cooling. The heat obtained is used to preheat water for heating the locker rooms and sanitary facilities for the brewery employees and also heats the domestic water. This innovation significantly saves energy and increases the comfort of the workers. The whole system is computer controlled.
2) Modernisation of the brewhouse management
The project was aimed at replacing the existing 52-year-old control system that was used for brewing beer. The original, now obsolete, controls used push buttons, manual switches and mechanical temperature and pressure gauges.
The new control uses state-of-the-art control system elements and sophisticated sensors for temperature and pressure measurement. The individual processes are fully automated and computer controlled.
3) Control of CIP station and dosing of sanitizing solutions
The CIP stations ensure hygienic and automated cleaning and by replacing their control, a precisely focused cleaning process of the pipes and internal walls of the kegging plant was achieved. The dosage of sanitizing solutions is controlled by an automatic dispenser to ensure maximum hygiene in the maintenance of the filling equipment. The project has significantly improved hygiene safety in the workplace.
4) Replacement of the tunnel PASTEURIZATION on the bottle/can line
The task of the project was to replace the oldest technological equipment used for pasteurization of beer in cans and bottles.
The new equipment will thus ensure a high-quality and gentle final treatment of the beer, thus achieving sufficient shelf life while preserving the taste characteristics. This also increased the possibilities of exporting our Slovak beer abroad.
5) Tasting and presentation building
This modern building, as the name suggests, will be used for tasting and presentation of our products, primarily beer. The capacity of approximately one hundred people will allow to organize various events promoting sales and introducing hot news directly in the Brewery.
6) Modernization of the production and storage hall (gates, facade, windows, floors)
The task of the project is the renovation of the production and warehouse premises of the Brewery – insulation of the building, replacement of windows and dispatch gates in the exterior and replacement of floors in the interior. Thanks to the insulation of the building, significant energy savings will be made on heating during the winter months.
