AGRANA offsets 8,150 metric tons of CO2 emissions by transporting 1.25 million tons of beets by rail

AGRANA offsets 8,150 metric tons of CO2 emissions by transporting 1.25 million tons of beets by rail Fotocredit: AGRANA

(PRESS RELEASE) VIENNA, 7-Dec-2020 — /EuropaWire/ — AGRANA to again transport raw materials in its current sugar beet campaign by rail, which proves to be the most environmentally friendly transport option to deliver beets to sugar production sites in Leopoldsdorf and Tulln.

“For many years, we have been transporting sugar beet as far as possible by rail, using our proven partnership with ÖBB Rail Cargo Group to support climate-friendly, sustainable transport development,” says AGRANA CEO Johann Marihart.

This year alone, 1.25 million tons or 58% of Austrian sugar beets will be delivered by freight wagons to the two sugar production sites in Leopoldsdorf and Tulln. The rail share of the total transport volume has increased by around 10% over the previous year. The annual ecological effect of this transport volume is also significant. This is because sugar beets transported by rail save around 50,000 truck journeys and therefore avoid 8,150 metric tons of emissions (CO₂ equivalents) compared to truck transports.

In terms of transport kilometers covered in Austria, the rail share is as high as 80% this year. “This makes us the leader in Europe in this area. In Germany, for example, there is no longer any rail transport of sugar beets,” says Marihart.

This year, AGRANA is processing around 2.1 million tons of domestic sugar beets in its two sugar factories in Leopoldsdorf and Tulln. With an average daily processing volume of around 24,000 tons of sugar beets, the campaign will be completed by mid-January.

About AGRANA
AGRANA converts agricultural raw materials into high-quality foods and numerous industrial intermediate products. About 9,400 employees at 56 production facilities worldwide generate annual Group revenues of around € 2.5 billion. The Group, founded in 1988, is the global leader in fruit preparations and also a major producer of fruit juice concentrates in Europe as well as being a key manufacturer of customized potato, corn and wheat starch products and bioethanol in its Starch segment. AGRANA is one of the leading sugar companies in Central and Eastern Europe.

Media contact:

MARKUS SIMAK
Corporate Communications Spokesperson
Phone: +43 1 21137 12084

SOURCE: AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG