23 June 2006 - Following a successful two-month trial period, Plzensky Prazdroj today fully commissioned the modernised production complex in its Pilsen brewery – the so-called “second-and-a-half” phase of expanding the Pilsner Urquell brew house – and new cylindro-conical tanks (CCT) for fermenting beer. This has been the biggest investment of the last year in terms of capacity, and the second largest after the packaging halls*. Its chief purpose is to increase the Pilsen brewery's production capacity so as to respond to the expected rise in demand for the premium beer Pilsner Urquell on foreign markets.
The total project, costing more than CZK 200 million, shifts annual production capacity for the Pilsner Urquell brand to around 2.7 million hectolitres. All construction and technological work went ahead without interrupting the brewery’s operations and without any affect on beer production.
The investment project focused on the new Pilsner Urquell brew house, where a second wort line was installed, together with a whirlpool tun and wort cooler. A second lauter tun with diameter of 10 metres was also commissioned. This raised the brew house’s daily output from 12 to 14.5 brews, each representing 600 hectolitres of wort.
In December 2005 the giant fermentation tanks were delivered to the Pilsen brewery. Ten new shiny tanks with a volume of 2,400 hectolitres were put up in the space next to the brew house and today these comprise the modernised heart of the brewery. The fermentation tanks are equipped with the unique Eco-Matrix valve organisation technology, which has an enhancing effect on the beer quality. The Pilsen brewery’s total weekly production capacity has been expanded by almost 14 000 hl of beer.
Suppliers and interesting facts about the items supplied to the modernised production complex:
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Huppmann (brew house)
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- the wort cooler has 131 rust-resistant plates
- the whirlpool tun is 6 metres in diameter
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Hochtief (CCT construction)
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- 775 m3 of concrete
- 31 tons of steel constructions
- 910 m2 of paving and tiling |
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Holvrieka (tanks)
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- internal diameter of tanks 6 m
- height of tanks approx. 15.8 m
- an empty tank weighs around 23 tons |
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GEATuchenhagen (technology)
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- around 130 automatic flaps and valves in CC tanks
- approx. 1250 m of piping of various diameters |
* Plzensky Prazdroj’s business activity is governed by the financial year ending 31 March of the calendar year – in compliance with the practice of the parent company SABMiller
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With total sales of more than 10.2 million hectolitres at home and abroad in the calendar year 2005, and with exports to more than 50 countries world-wide, Plzensky Prazdroj, a. s. is the leading beer producer in Central Europe and the largest exporter of Czech beer.
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Plzensky Prazdroj, a. s., is a member of the global group SABMiller plc, the second-largest beer producer in the world, with brewing activities or distribution in more than 60 countries across 5 continents. Pilsner Urquell is the international flag ship for the SABMiller brand portfolio.