16 March 2026
Start of the 2026 thick juice campaign at the Nordzucker site in Nordstemmen
During the beet campaign, not all of the beet harvest is processed into granulated sugar at the factories in Nordstemmen, Lower Saxony, and Trenčianska Teplá, Slovakia. Part of it is stored in large tanks on site as so-called thick juice, an intermediate product on the way to granulated sugar. During the thick juice campaign, the sugar is now crystallised from the thick juice in the boiling station.
Downstream thick juice campaign offers several advantages
Downstream processing offers several advantages: Firstly, the sites can utilise their processing capacities more effectively during the campaign. Secondly, this flexibility in processing allows for an even more precise response to customer-specific requirements, such as special product qualities or different crystal sizes. Another advantage in Nordstemmen: following the consolidation of liquid sugar production at Groß Munzel and Nordstemmen in 2025, the majority of lorry transport to Groß Munzel – where speciality products were previously also manufactured during the thick juice campaign – will be eliminated.
As usual, boilers and turbines will be checked for functionality and safety at the start of the thick juice campaign. “There may be a brief increase in noise levels when the plants are started up. We ask our local residents for their understanding in this regard,” says Elmar Kuhnt, Head of Factory in Nordstemmen.
More efficient sugar production with a clear focus on CO₂ reduction
In special compressors, steam that has already been used several times is re-energised. This form of steam compression makes it possible to reuse the recovered steam as heating steam. “Through these energy optimisations in the sugar house, we are significantly increasing our energy efficiency whilst reducing CO₂ emissions,” explains Elmar Kuhnt.
Preparations for the next beet campaign
Once the thick juice campaign has concluded, the facilities will be prepared for the upcoming sugar beet campaign in the autumn. In this way, Nordzucker is laying the groundwork for a reliable start to the new harvest and processing season.