THE CHALLENGE: DECARBONIZING INSTANT COFFEE PRODUCTION.
The instant coffee plants in Vietnam and Mexico hold strategic importance for a leading global food and beverage company. To minimize the environmental impact of production and promote an increasingly sustainable supply chain, the company chose to invest in renewable energy solutions, focusing on decarbonization, adherence to ESG policies, and the valorization of production waste.THE UNICONFORT SOLUTION.
The company found a reliable technology partner with international expertise in Uniconfort. Two biomass-fired steam production plants were installed:- Vietnam: 22 ton/hour plant.
- Mexico: 20 ton/hour plant.
The plants primarily use coffee by-products from production, specifically spent coffee grounds and wastewater, as their main fuel, transforming them into an energy resource. Uniconfort’s solutions were custom-designed thanks to the "Lego Approach" philosophy, which ensures modularity, adaptability, and operational simplicity. The plants include dedicated technical innovations:
- An ad hoc biomass storage system consisting of two vertical silos.
- A combustion chamber with a custom-designed inclined moving grate, tailored for the high-moisture fuel type.
- A double flue gas filtration system to minimize emissions.
- An economizer for energy recovery and maximizing energy efficiency.
- A water-tube heat exchanger to minimize plant downtime for cleaning and maintenance.
In both facilities, installation was handled by our local partner, supported by our on-site manager.
THE RESULTS: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FROM COFFEE WASTE.
The benefits are concrete and measurable:- 34,600 tonnes of CO2 saved annually for each plant.
- 1,500 kg/h of spent coffee grounds repurposed as renewable fuel.
- Significant reduction in energy costs.
- Increased energy security for the plants.
These results directly contribute to the client's global goals for carbon neutrality, strengthening its path toward a low-emission future.
A PARTNERSHIP BUILT ON SHARED VALUES.
The company chose Uniconfort for its reliability, technical expertise, customization capabilities, and the presence of qualified local support teams. Uniconfort, in turn, brings its own ESG values to this partnership: an EcoVadis Gold Medal and recognition at the Sustainability Award 2024 as one of the top 100 most sustainable companies in Italy.LOOKING TO THE FUTURE.
The experience in Vietnam and Mexico demonstrates how the collaboration between food and beverage companies and Uniconfort can become a replicable global model. This is a partnership built on common values, with the goal of accelerating the energy transition and making instant coffee production sustainable for future generations. Two continents, one strategy: together for a Net Zero future.
THE INSTALLATION IN NUMBERS
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| LOCATION | VIETNAM | MEXICO |
| NUMBER OF BOILERS | 1 | 1 |
| FUEL | SPENT COFFEE GROUNDS . | SPENT COFFEE GROUNDS |
| PRODUCTION | STEAM | STEAM |
| TOTAL POWER | 22 ton/h | 20 ton/h |
| INDUSTRIAL PROCESS | Instant coffee production | Instant coffee production |
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