Krombacher Brauerei upgrades bottling plant through overhaul
Big investment in the bottling department at the Krombacher Brauerei: Oliver Mette (head of plant development), Manfred Schmidt (technical manager) and Ludger Hense (head of bottling) are making the Krombacher production future-proof and sustainable for the upcoming decades.
Krombacher Brauerei plans to invest more than €100 million in upgrading its bottling facility in the coming six years to secure its future position in the industry.
With the largest and most extensive investment project in the company’s long history, the brewery says the move is not only emphasising its strong commitment to its home location, but also underlining its importance as one of the largest employers in the region.
The first stage of the modernisation project in the Littfetal building complex (Germany), the brewery’s bottling and logistics division, involves the installation of a new sorting area with a state-of-the-art sorting system and systems that optimise the material flow.
“Breweries process a large volume of empties every day, which makes continuous and fast sorting necessary, in order to feed them back into the production cycle. The sorting effort is extremely high due to the different bottle types and shapes. The new systems make the process much more efficient,” explains Ludger Hense, head of bottling at Krombacher Brauerei.
Michael Kröhl, head of logistics at Krombach, continues: “The conversion will also enable us to significantly increase efficiency in logistics. We are thus also committing ourselves to the reusable system in the future and are future-proofing our processes.”
From 2026, four bottling lines will also be replaced. The conversion measures will take place during ongoing operations – with the first measures already being implemented. The complex project will be completed in 2030.
“The modernisation of our bottling plants is a clear commitment to the future of our brewery and to the diversity of varieties that characterises our company,” explains Manfred Schmidt, technical managing director of Krombacher Brauerei. “Despite the enormous challenges that the modernisation entails during ongoing operations, we are focusing on smooth implementation, in order to guarantee our high quality standards and our claim to be able to deliver 100% at all times.”
The investment in modern filling technologies and efficient sorting systems not only significantly improves process control, but also creates more flexibility in production. As a result, the brewery says it is already able to respond reliably to consumer demand for variety and offer a wide range of products, and will continue to do so in the future. The focus remains on the flagship Pils, but the growing complexity of the different varieties – from innovative beer specialities to alcohol-free beverages – is also fully taken into account.
