Agrana Inaugurates the Second-Largest Sugar Silo in Europe at its Sugar Factory in Tulln
The newly created additional storage capacity eliminates the need for sugar to be transported to external warehouses, thereby achieving considerable reductions in annual CO2 emissions.
Oct 18 2011 --- AGRANA inaugurated its new granulated sugar silo at its sugar factory in Tulln. The new silo, which stores 70,000 tonnes of granulated sugar, is one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in Europe thanks to its structural design and impact on the environment. In combination with the remaining five silos, the Tulln site is now capable of storing a total of 180,000 tonnes of granulated sugar.
The silo has been erected using the slipform construction method with reinforced concrete. It is 52 metres high and has an inner diameter of 49 metres, making it the second-largest sugar silo in Europe. Construction work began in November 2010, during which time approximately 7,500 m3 of concrete and 550 tonnes of construction steel were used. A 200-metre long conveyor bridge at a height of 18 metres makes it possible to collect and deposit 125 tonnes of sugar per hour. “At current sugar production levels of around 2,300 tonnes per day, we expect the silo to be completely filled for the first time with thirty days,” predicts Johann Marihart, CEO of AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG.
The new sugar silo also has much to offer when it comes to the issue of sustainability. “The newly created additional storage capacity eliminates the need for sugar to be transported to external warehouses, thereby achieving considerable reductions in annual CO2 emissions. In addition to this, waste heat from the sugar production process that previously went unused can now be harnessed to heat and condition the silo, reducing CO2 emissions further still. In order to minimise the quantity of particulate matter produced, filtering systems with a total surface area of around 430 m2 were also fitted,” says Johann Marihart in reference to the environmental aspects of the new facility.
