Technologies
Obolon’s main technological aim is continuous improvement of product quality and all production processes. That is why the company installs the latest equipment that enables it to take the lead in technical equipment not only in Ukraine, but also in Europe.
Two the most modern breweries in Ukraine are part of the corporation. These are Obolon’s main plant in Kyiv and Ziebert’s Brewery’ in Fastiv, Kyiv Region.
The rated capacity of the Kyiv plant is 11 million hectoliters of beer per year. This makes the enterprise the largest brewery in Europe. In the last two years, a unique Ziemann brewing system has been installed. It makes 12 brews of 750 hectoliters of cold wort each day. The main feature of this brewing system is that it reduces brewing-related heat loss by half. Energy efficiency is one of the priority tasks the company’s engineers are facing today. One of the achievements we are proud of is a unique facility for extracting beer from spent yeast that produces 500 000-600 000 decaliters of beer per year. Such technologies enable us to set up almost waste-free, environmentally friendly production. A responsible attitude to the environment is also one of Obolon’s priorities.
High product quality is guaranteed by four powerful filtration plants manufactured by the German company KHS by order of the Kyiv brewery. The largest filter has a capacity of 950 hectoliters per hour. The Obolon filtration system is unique both in Ukraine and in Europe. The company features Europe’s largest bottling filling line with maximum capacity of 110 000 glass bottles per hour. In 2008 a new can filling line was put into service. It is able to fill 60 000 cans per hour and container volume can be 0.25 l, or 0.3 l or 0.5 l. The keg filling line has been also significantly modernized, and now its capacity is one thousand 50-liter kegs per hour.
Zibert’s Brewery in Fastiv, Kyiv Region has turned into a modern, hi-tech enterprise after reconstruction over the last two years. During a large-scale investment project valued at 40 million euros, a modern German beer production facility was installed. As a result, the company’s productive capacities have increased by 15 times to 1.5 million hectoliters of beer per year. Brewing facilities and filling lines for various kinds of containers have increased accordingly.
Raw material is as much important as equipment for the production of a quality product. One of the main components of beer production is malt. In order to obtain high-quality malt, the corporation built a malting plant in Chemerivtsi, Khmelnitsky Region. Now it is one of the most advanced enterprises on the continent. Leading international companies were chosen to supply a complete set of production equipment. Total investments were $100 million. The plant’s capacity is over 120 000 tonnes of malt per year. The plant processes 180 000 tonnes of barley (450 tonnes a day). The malting plant features a variety of innovative solutions that allow us to improve processes significantly and reduce consumption of resources. For example, circular malting plots and a system of dry barley transportation system instead of a water system are used. Hot air is recovered in a drying room, and membrane system of wastewater treatment is the only one of its kind in Europe.
Along with brewing, an equally important line of the company’s activity is beverage production. In particular, this is the main specialization of the Krasylivske Subsidiary, Khmelnitsky Region. This is an excellent enterprise, producing low-alcohol and soft drinks and mineral water. The personnel of Krasylivske Subsidiary successfully deal with problems of harmonious coexistence of large production facilities and an ecologically clean natural zone.
Automation plays a crucial role at all Obolon plants. Main production functions are carried out by machines and people just monitor the whole process. This shows not only technological efficiency, but also compliance with the most stringent standards of product quality and high level of organization of all processes. Thanks to experienced technologists, many of whom have worked in the industry for over a quarter of a century, Obolon is able to implement advanced experience, create new tastes, and constantly improve beverage recipes. For this purpose, the most modern experimental, production, radiological and technical control laboratories operate at the enterprises. They ensure both constant product quality analysis at all stages of production and development of innovative products.