Achard International is committed to offer healthy, safe and sustainable products both on a European level, in partnership with the white beet sugar manufacturer Cosun Beet Company, the European leader in sustainable circular economy development, as well as worldwide thanks to the cooperation with certified raw cane sugar manufacturers and partners.
During production, the focus is on the promotion of biodiversity, responsible soil and water management, energy efficiency, the reduction of emissions and the reuse of waste all along the supply chain.
Our commitment to a greener sugar distribution extends to the distribution to the end customer, helping to make the sugar supply chain more sustainable.
A close cooperation between manufacturers and Achard International is essential to achieve the shared goal of a more sustainable logistics. Most of the deliveries from Cosun Beet Company to the Italian logistics hubs are made by intermodal rail transport. Together, we are committed to reduce the carbon footprint of transporting beet to sugar factories as well as end product from sugar factories to production and storage sites; for this purpose, we rely on intermodal transport and sustainable fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG) wherever possible, as well as on logistics platforms (see Nogarole Rocca) located close to railway terminals and end-user facilities.
Cosun Beet Company’s beet processing plants in the Netherlands are among the most energy efficient in Europe. The producer achieved its target of reducing energy consumption per ton of sugar by 50% compared to 1990 by 2020. Also in our Italian plants, thanks to increasingly efficient process management, we have been able to reduce consumption and emissions along the storage process.
Achard International is proud to partner with the leading producer of green gas in the Netherlands. By increasing the availability of renewable energy through green gas, a by-product of sugar production, Cosun Beet Company reduces waste and supports the circular economy. The aim of the producer’s sustainable approach is to strengthen agricultural practices, promote nature, water and soil conservation, and to focus on the development of plant-based solutions, including food, animal feed, beet leaf protein and green energy.
Together with Cosun Beet Company, we share a sustainable vision that focuses on all aspects of people’s living environment: environmental, social and economic. Our shared goals are safety, well-being, occupational health and respect for the environment. Last but not least, we promote responsible consumption of sugar and its derivatives, encouraging a balanced diet and an active lifestyle.
How is it produced?
The beets are harvested and transported by truck to the Cosun Beet Company plant, where they are processed.
Water and soil residues are returned to the ground, where they replenish the soil and raise its level.
The beets are cut into smaller pieces and the juice is extracted, while the pulp is repurposed as animal feed.
Mineral salts and proteins are extracted from the raw juice and used for agricultural purposes. The sugar content increases from about 15% to 70% through the evaporation of water, thickening the juice
The beet juice is further concentrated into a dense crystalline mixture that is centrifuged to separate the sugar crystals and syrup.
After being dried and cooled, the sugar is stored in silo and then transported by rail container (intermodal transport) to Achard International’s Italian logistics hubs.
Bulk and/or packaged sugar arrives at the different logistics hubs in Italy and is delivered to the end users.
