Innovative factory concept for industry leader, Indonesia
Project duration: 2021–2023
Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Planning of a New Cane Sugar Factory
Maximum flexibility through the combination of a cane sugar factory and a refinery
BMA supports leading food and beverage producer with an innovative factory concept that enables the processing of both sugar cane and imported raw sugar within a single facility.
During the cane crushing season, sugar is produced from the customer’s own cane supply. Outside the campaign period, the same plant can be used for refining raw sugar. Combined with an energy self-sufficient operation based on bagasse, this creates a near carbon-neutral facility with high asset utilization, reduced dependence on fossil fuels, and outstanding economic performance.
Read moreInitial situation & challenges
Original Idea: Factory on Java
- Planned capacity: 800–1,000 t/d of cane sugar
- Challenges:
- Complex permitting processes
- Difficulties finding a suitable location (water availability, cane supply, logistics)
- Years of discussions with authorities without success
Customer profile
- Company: Leading Indonesian consumer goods company
- Location: Indonesia, with future production on the Maluku Islands
- Industry: Food industry (leading producer of instant coffee mixes)
- Motivation: Establishment of a sustainable in-house sugar production to secure the supply of sugar for its coffee mix products ("3-in-1 coffee, creamer, sugar")
Scope of delivery by BMA
Engineering
BMA provides the complete basic engineering for all process stations, including:
- Overall plant concept
- Process planning and process design
- Energy and mass balances
- Layout planning and plant structure
- Specifications required for permits (including all necessary technical documentation)
- Specification of the required equipment
- Preparation of technical tender documents
- Adaptation of the concept following the relocation to the Maluku Islands
New Situation & Challenge
- Strategic shift: Development of an own plantation, factory, and refinery on the Maluku Islands
- At the same time, the plant should be capable of processing imported raw sugar (process flexibility)
- Ambitious objectives:
- Energy self-sufficient production based on bagasse
- Minimization of fossil fuel consumption
- Operation in two processing modes (cane sugar / raw sugar) requiring highly sophisticated plant design
Services Provided by BMA
- Complete basic engineering
- Provision of all relevant documentation required for obtaining governmental approvals
- Consulting on energy-efficient power plant integration using bagasse
- Support during the redesign process following the site relocation
Technology & Plant Philosophy
BMA developed a highly efficient plant concept that includes:
- Bagasse as the main energy source for year-round operation, minimizing the use of fossil fuels
- Shared utilization of approximately one-third of the equipment in two operating modes:
- Sugar production from sugar cane (4–6 months per year)
- Plantation White sugar from imported raw sugar (6–8 months per year)
Result: Exceptional flexibility, year-round utilization, and consistently high sugar quality.
Solution approach & implementation
01
Rapid Adaptation to New Requirements
- The relocation from Java to the Maluku Islands required a completely new plant concept.
- BMA quickly developed a revised solution capable of supporting both plantation operation and raw sugar refining.
Energy Efficiency as a Core Principle
- Use of bagasse as fuel with the objective of achieving energy self-sufficiency and the lowest possible carbon footprint
- Minimal use of fossil fuels
- Process design focused on achieving maximum thermal efficiency
02
03
Flexible and Modular Factory Concept
- Approximately one-third of the process equipment is used in both production modes, resulting in significantly lower investment costs
- Seasonal switching between cane sugar production and raw sugar refining without major modifications
Project Status & Schedule
- Customer continues to intensify permitting activities
- Planned start of earthworks: Q4 2021
- Orders for long-lead items such as the boiler house, turbine, and generator planned for the end of 2021
- Planned start of sugar production: 2023
04
Results & key figures
Highest Energy Efficiency
- Bagasse as the primary energy source
- Minimal fossil fuel consumption
- High thermal efficiency through intelligent plant design
Process Flexibility
- Cane sugar production: 4–6 months per year
- Imported raw sugar processing: 6–8 months per year
- Approximately one-third of the equipment utilized in both operating modes
Quality
- Consistently high sugar quality across both production modes
To learn more about combined refinery and cane sugar milling operations, please see this paper: