The company, known for producing leading beverage brands including Ribena and Lucozade, has committed to reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, using 2015 as its baseline year. Alongside these environmental goals, the factory had also been facing ongoing operational challenges caused by ageing pump infrastructure, including frequent breakdowns, inconsistent water pressure, poor system balance, and rising energy consumption.
Seeking a more reliable and energy-efficient solution, Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I partnered with Grundfos to assess the performance of its utilities systems and identify opportunities for improvement.
According to Energy and Sustainability Manager Daniel Gray, the plant’s previous pumping systems relied heavily on manual operation and reactive maintenance.
“The reliability simply wasn’t there,” Gray explained. “Most of the time, we only became aware of problems when production teams reported pressure drops or quality issues. We were constantly reacting instead of proactively managing the systems.”
The company initiated a phased retrofit programme across four critical applications within the factory’s utilities network, including town water, treated water, primary chilled water, and central chilled water pumping systems.
Grundfos proposed the installation of high-efficiency electronically controlled E-pumps equipped with integrated variable speed drives, pressure and temperature controls, and digital cloud connectivity through the Grundfos iSOLUTIONS platform.
The upgraded systems automatically adjust pump performance according to operational demand, significantly reducing unnecessary energy usage while improving overall system efficiency and reliability.
One of the most notable improvements came from the treated water plant. Previously, the facility operated four 37-kilowatt pumps simultaneously during peak production periods due to limited control capabilities. Following the retrofit, the system was replaced with smaller 22-kilowatt Grundfos pumps operating at optimal efficiency levels.
Gray noted that energy consumption has dropped dramatically.
“Instead of consuming around 120 kilowatts during peak operation, we’re now using roughly 24 kilowatts at any given time. These are savings we would never have achieved with the previous setup,” he said.
As confidence in the retrofit programme increased, the company adopted additional Grundfos recommendations across further projects.
The results have consistently delivered strong returns, with several retrofit projects achieving energy savings ranging from 40% to 60%, depending on system utilisation levels. Gray added that most projects achieved payback periods of less than two years, making approvals for future upgrades easier to secure despite fluctuating energy prices.
Beyond energy efficiency, the new systems have also improved working conditions and maintenance processes at the plant. The smaller pumps are quieter, easier to handle, and allow for remote monitoring of system performance and potential faults.
“You no longer need hearing protection in some areas because the environment is significantly quieter and safer,” Gray said.
The company estimates that the initial series of Grundfos retrofit projects has already contributed approximately 4% toward reducing the factory’s overall carbon emissions.
Sustainability remains central to Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I’s long-term business strategy, with the company continuing to explore further opportunities to improve operational efficiency and lower environmental impact.
Gray believes the potential for future savings remains substantial.
“We’ve only scratched the surface,” he said. “Some of the upcoming projects offer such attractive savings that we’re trying to accelerate implementation because delaying them would mean missing valuable opportunities for both cost and carbon reductions.”
