We are always seeking to improve sugar milling and refining technology.  The sugar decolourisation and air-cooled steam condensing plants we deliver today offer demonstrably superior performance, reliability and operator safety to those installed in past decades.  Innovation and boundary stretching is what motivates us.  A few of our latest technology advancement offerings to the sugar industry are as follows:

BOTTLERS GRADE LIQUID SUGAR DIRECT FROM RAW SUGAR

Through collaboration with industry experts, we’ve released a liquid sugar plant, capable of refining high colour raw sugar crystal directly into “bottlers grade” liquid sugar.

This latest breakthrough is intended to lead a shift away from the traditional model of refining and shipping refined sugar crystal to food and beverage manufactures to a destination-based point of use model.  Principle advantages are a drastic reduction in the cost of sugar, significant water consumption savings and a substantial cut in carbon dioxide emission through a step change in energy efficiency.

The challenge Direct Sugar overcomes is the inefficiency of converting liquid sugar into crystal form for transportation and storage, only to re-dissolve it back into liquid sugar at a beverage bottling plant. Vast amounts of water need to be evaporated so the sugar can be crystallised, centrifuged and dried. Only for the process to be reversed as the crystal sugar is converted back into liquid form at a food and beverage manufacturing facility.

Compared to a traditional sugar refinery, modelling shows a 55% reduction in water consumption, 90% reduction in fuel consumption and 80% reduction in energy. This gives rise to a substantial reduction in the ingredient cost of sugar.

The Direct Sugar process uses granular activated carbon and ion exchange resin at the heart of the process.  Each facility has its own idiosyncrasies.  The optimal configuration is determined via collaborative research with our customer.

RECYCLING CARBON DIOXIDE USING RECALCINATION TECHNOLOGY

Carbonatation is a primary decolourisation step at a sugar refinery that immediately precedes secondary activated carbon decolourisation. The process requires a constant supply of carbon dioxide and generates a waste stream of calcium carbonate mud. In some instances, the mud can be distributed to nearby farms as a soil conditioner, otherwise it is stockpiled as a waste product.

Currently carbonatation is a once through process, it requires constant make up of calcium oxide from on-site lime kilns or delivery by truck, often over large distances. Observing the inefficiency in this process, we’ve researched possible improvements. Lime mud is largely calcium carbonate precipitated with organic and inorganic colour bodies. It can be reheated in a recalcination kiln to over 1,000 degrees Celsius returning it to 90% pure lime, ready for recycling and reuse. The recalcination process liberates the carbon dioxide out of the mud, which is then reused in the carbonatation tanks.

Jord’s new process recycles both carbon dioxide and lime mud for superior efficiency and cost savings, as well as significant environmental benefits.

EXTRACTING OPTIMUM RESULTS FROM SUGAR REFINERIES

It starts with knowledge. Jord’s sugar technology knowledge bank has grown substantially from our traditional specialities to encompass entire refinery process consulting. We draw on decades of experience in refinery design, operation and performance benchmarking.  In conjunction with leading sugar refinery experts, we service all refinery process needs, from new refinery design to plant optimisation and troubleshooting.

Jord uses sophisticated design tools, including Sugars^TM  software coupled with latest modelling packages and design know-how, produces optimal sugar refinery solutions.