Filling technology

Together with its Group parent Salzgitter AG, KHS is measurably pursuing the goal of achieving net-zero: the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated the company's climate targets in 2024. In specific terms, this means that scope 1 and scope 2 emissions – meaning direct emissions and emissions from purchased energy – are to be reduced by 36 percent by 2028. Scope 3 – all indirect emissions from the supply chain and due to product use – are to be reduced by 20 percent. The company is aiming to achieve net-zero for scope 1 and 2 by 2045 and for scope 3 by 2050.

"For us, sustainability is not a one-off project, but an integral element of our corporate responsibility and future strategy. We are specifically investing in sustainable technology and setting ourselves ambitious, verifiable targets, because we can only generate real added value for the environment, society and our customers in this way," stresses Kai Acker, CEO, KHS GmbH.

This strategy has long since ceased to be merely a vision: KHS has already switched all of its five German sites to green electricity. Internal heating networks are being constructed in Dortmund and Worms to completely replace gas and oil. LED lighting with sensors, use of waste heat and intelligent building control technology are being incorporated as standard. The vehicle fleet is also being electrified, and international sites are following suit with photovoltaic systems.

Above all, the plant technology is a central lever in addition to the infrastructure. This is illustrated particularly clearly using the example of the Innopas SX tunnel pasteuriser, in which energy is saved and used flexibly thanks to the option of low-temperature heating, for instance. Depending on the temperature level required in the process, this also enables the use of residual heat from other operating processes or the connection of a central heat pump system or regenerative storage systems. A second heating module is used to ensure process capability if the external source is not available or not to the required degree. The extent of the saving depends on the volume of the available heating medium, the temperature level and the resulting volumetric flows that are needed. Reducing the energy requirements of the machines is an essential step in addition to the reuse of heat, which leads to savings on the primary energy side. The heat required by the Innopas SX has been significantly reduced thanks to integrated machine insulation as standard, lower volumes of water in the machine and an optimised heating process. Up to 30 percent less heat is required to heat up the machine, for instance. The flexible and intelligent integration of low-temperature sources particularly helps to save water. Connecting a cold water storage facility from central heat pump systems is also possible. Added to these are intelligent process control systems such as flexible speed regulation as part of the PE control system, which also contribute to saving water.

Digital systems also make a crucial contribution to sustainability. For instance, an energy management system is used which monitors water, compressed air and electricity completely and in real time. In the event of deviations, an alarm is automatically triggered so that an immediate response is possible.

The company is systematically identifying what are called 'significant energy uses' (SEU) and is continuously extending its measuring point network in order to precisely pinpoint potential savings. At the same time, a higher-level building management system is used to regulate lighting, heating and climate control depending on the location on the basis of light conditions, room temperature and presence. Operation of the compressed air systems is also made more efficient by means of priority control.

Another central element is the building control technology, which operates on the basis of intelligent algorithms and external factors such as temperature, humidity, wind velocity and light conditions. Lighting systems are operated depending on daylight and presence, while heating and air conditioning systems are automatically adapted to current ambient conditions.

The compressed air supply is also fully integrated into the digital infrastructure:
compressors are equipped with priority-switched control systems which record all relevant parameters of the compressed air network. This enables efficient, needs-based control at all times – an additional element for reducing energy consumption within the company.

Just what effect this has in practice is shown by the example of the Coca-Cola Europacific Partners' Knetzgau site, where two stretch blow moulders from 1998 were replaced with an InnoPET Blomax Series V – with the innovative Double Gate heating concept (DoGa) from KHS. Significant energy savings are achieved thanks to the use of near infrared radiators and bilateral heating of the preforms without a primary reflector.

According to Project Manager Ralph Sauter, this means that the site saves up to 560,000 kWh of electricity per year. "In view of the targets we've set ourselves, saving energy plays a big role for us. This is why the new Double Gate technology was particularly interesting for us," said Ralph Sauter, Project Manager, Coca-Cola Knetzgau.

Flexible machine integration into existing lines posed a challenge – one that KHS successfully overcame. Marc Harald Eysel, Sales Manager PET Technology at KHS, stresses: "We don't just want to convince our clients with system performance alone. Adaptations like this are a matter of course for us."

Successful implementation demonstrates that sustainable technology from KHS is already delivering measurable results.

In addition to energy, material input is also a crucial factor in CO₂ emissions. With its Bottles & Shapes™ service, KHS supports its customers in developing light PET bottles that can consist of 100 percent recycled PET (rPET). This not only reduces the volume of material, but also emissions along the entire chain. KHS's machines are prepared for processing sustainable packaging materials. The objective is a holistically sustainable filling process that extends from manufacturing and usage to recycling.

KHS is using validated climate targets, specific infrastructure modernisation, intelligent digitalisation and resource-efficient technology to show that sustainability is not regarded as an addendum, but as an integral part of industrial future viability. "The next few years will be crucial for consolidating our set course and achieving net-zero in the long term. I am firmly convinced that we will meet our ambitious climate targets," says Kai Acker.

The trend is clearly shifting towards holistic sustainability:

in the future, the company will increasingly be focusing on resource-efficient system design, energy-efficient technologies and intelligent digitalisation. Heat recovery systems and digital monitoring solutions will remain central efficiency solutions in the future – with the objective of a holistically sustainable filling process that combines ecological standards with industrial performance.