Conserving resources
While protecting the soil, washing the beet prior to production, and transporting it in an environmentally friendly manner all play an important role in the cultivation of beets, air and water are primary environmental concerns in the production of sugar.
Efficient flue gas emission control devices, which are also used for de-sulphurisation, ensure that as little dust as possible is released into the air. State-of-the-art effluent purifiers and closed watercourses allow water to be re-used and reduce water consumption. The most important source of water for the production of sugar is in the beets themselves, as up to 3/4 of their composition is water. This water is condensed during the evaporation process and reused in the factory. The amount of soil delivered with the beets is now only two-thirds of what it was five years ago. This soil is collected in storage basins and later used to improve agricultural areas. Finally, the use of nitrogen-containing fertilisers in sugar beet cultivation has fallen by almost 50% in the last 20 years.
