Explosion-hazard-protected process technology for vodka producer Absolut

Absolut Vodka, the world’s leading vodka and spirits brand, is upsizing its operations with a second bottling plant near Åhus, Sweden. Initially built with a capacity of 20 million bottles a year, the plant will now be expanded to incorporate up to four lines, with concomitant expansion of the process technology as well. The Krones process technology is responsively customised for accepting high-strength ethanol and the subsequent blending process for producing the various types of vodka involved. The product spectrum can comprise up to twelve aroma variants.
42,000 litres of drinkable alcohol with an alcohol content of 96 vol% are delivered to the new production facility with each truck. At the acceptance station inside the hall, this potentially explosive basic product ingredient is blended with product water in a static mixer to set an ethanol content of 69 vol%. Air inclusions are removed using a new acceptance and deaeration system, developed by Krones specifically for the spirits industry. The two storage tanks downstream of the dilution station are fitted with safety features to guard against both overpressure and underpressure. All equipment complies with the specifications laid down in ATEX 95 for plant construction and with the safety requirements of the local authorities.
The Multiblend S blending station has been designed to meet these requirements in for spirits production operations. The blending station, operating in batch mode, reaches a throughput of 24,000 litres an hour, with a tolerance of +/-0.03 vol% .The alcohol content of the finished products is here set to 40 vol%.
Mobile filtering units remove particles of up to 4.5 μm in size. The new Krones quick-change system for the filter candles enables the entire filter unit to be simply replaced, so that product-specific aroma residues on the filter materials can be avoided. Two groups of three storage tanks for the finished product, each holding 48,000 litres, accept the product after filtration. 
This consistently harmonised concept, covering everything from product acceptance and blending right up to storage, proved persuasive for the Swedish spirits producer, who can now use quick-change, easy-to-handle systems in the shape of this newly developed equipment. The Botec process control system ensures that the various production steps are performed with meticulous accuracy.