GEA NEXUS: A Holistic Approach to Energy Efficiency and Emission Reduction in Food, Dairy, and Beverage Industries

GEA NEXUS: A Holistic Approach to Energy Efficiency and Emission Reduction in Food, Dairy, and Beverage Industries

(IN BRIEF) GEA is introducing its GEA NEXUS solution at IFFA 2025, a comprehensive engineering approach aimed at minimizing energy use and carbon footprints in the food, dairy, and beverage industries. By integrating heating and cooling solutions, GEA NEXUS can reduce plant-wide energy consumption by up to 30% and even eliminate the need for a boiler. The solution has already proven successful in the beverage and dairy sectors and is now being introduced to food processing. GEA NEXUS has demonstrated significant results at Wipasz, Poland’s leading poultry producer, where it has reduced energy costs and emissions while increasing energy efficiency. At IFFA, GEA experts will showcase how this approach can help food manufacturers achieve substantial energy and cost savings.

(PRESS RELEASE) DÜSSELDORF, 29-Apr-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — GEA is unveiling its groundbreaking GEA NEXUS solution at the upcoming IFFA trade fair in Frankfurt (Germany, Hall 8, Booth G10) from May 3-8, 2025. GEA NEXUS is a comprehensive engineering approach designed to significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint in the food, dairy, and beverage industries. By seamlessly integrating processing with heating and cooling solutions, rather than treating these systems separately, GEA NEXUS can cut plant-wide energy use by up to 30%, and in some cases, even eliminate the need for a boiler.

Already proven in the beverage and dairy sectors, GEA NEXUS is now being introduced to the food processing industry, where it has the potential to make a considerable environmental and cost-saving impact. The food processing industry faces strong pressure from both regulators and consumers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while maintaining competitiveness in an increasingly cost-sensitive market. Since heating and cooling account for approximately 60% of energy consumption in food processing plants, optimizing these areas represents the most impactful opportunity for both energy savings and carbon footprint reduction.

At the heart of GEA NEXUS is a holistic approach to heating and cooling within the production process. GEA begins by analyzing each phase of the production process, considering temperature requirements, phase changes, and other technical parameters in detail. Working closely with food producers, GEA tailors solutions that optimize energy efficiency while reducing emissions and costs.

One key aspect of GEA NEXUS is the repurposing of waste heat generated during cooling. Often, cooling is treated as the final step in the process, which misses opportunities to utilize available waste heat. For instance, waste heat from cooling pasta can be redirected via a heat pump to provide hot water for cooking pasta, creating a sustainable and cost-effective cycle. By involving sustainability, cooling, and process experts early in the design phase, GEA ensures that all stages of production work synergistically to achieve maximum energy savings and emission reductions.

GEA refrigeration and heat pump plant at Wipasz — Poland’s leading poultry producer. Source: GEA

Sustainability Consulting for Existing Facilities

In addition to its engineering solutions, GEA offers sustainability consulting services through its “Add Better Consulting” program. This service helps companies with existing production lines assess their energy needs and sustainability goals, providing detailed engineering designs to integrate heating and cooling demands more effectively. Whether for greenfield projects or retrofitting existing plants, this approach ensures minimal downtime during implementation and a rapid return on investment.

GEA NEXUS in Action at Wipasz

One successful implementation of GEA NEXUS is at Wipasz, Poland’s leading poultry producer. Faced with the challenge of improving energy efficiency, Wipasz worked with GEA to meet three key objectives: optimizing cooling, recovering waste heat, and improving ventilation, particularly in the slaughter area.

GEA’s ammonia-refrigeration systems provide cooling for half the plant’s energy needs, including temperature-sensitive chilling and freezing processes. Two heat-recovery systems using GEA heat pumps now repurpose waste heat from cooling operations to meet all the plant’s hot water requirements, including office heating. The boiler is kept only as a backup.

With this integration, Wipasz has seen a 30% reduction in energy use and operating costs. Additionally, CO₂ and NOx emissions have been cut by up to 90%, with CO₂ emissions potentially reduced to zero if powered by green electricity.

Accelerating the Path to Net-Zero

GEA NEXUS is designed to accelerate the journey toward net-zero emissions while maximizing energy efficiency. By combining sustainability with strong ROI, GEA NEXUS offers manufacturers a robust solution for energy management and emission reduction.

Meet GEA Experts at IFFA

At IFFA 2025, GEA experts will demonstrate the potential of GEA NEXUS and collaborate with food manufacturers to explore how the solution can help reduce energy consumption, lower costs, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Visit GEA at Hall 8, Booth G10 to learn more about this innovative approach to sustainable food processing.

About GEA

GEA is one of the world’s largest suppliers of systems and components to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.

The international technology group, founded in 1881, focuses on machinery and plants, as well as advanced process technology, components and comprehensive services. For instance, every second pharma separator for essential healthcare products such as vaccines or novel biopharmaceuticals is produced by GEA. In food, every fourth package of pasta or every third chicken nugget are processed with GEA technology. With more than 18,000 employees, the Group generated revenues of about EUR 5.4 billion in more than 150 countries in the 2024 fiscal year. GEA plants, processes, components and services enhance the efficiency and sustainability of customers’ production. They contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions, plastic usage and food waste. In doing so, GEA makes a key contribution toward a sustainable future, in line with the company’s purpose: ”Engineering for a better world.”

GEA is listed on the German MDAX, the European STOXX® Europe 600 Index and is also a constituent of the leading sustainability indices DAX 50 ESG, MSCI Global Sustainability and Dow Jones Best-in-Class World.

Media Contact:

Nicole Hoffmann
Trade Press for Dairy Processing and Food
Phone: +49 (0)211 9136-1503

SOURCE: GEA