Production units

Harboe’s three breweries in Denmark, Germany and Estonia produced and sold a total of 5.3 million hectolitres of beer and soft drinks. It is of decisive strategic importance for the breweries to have modern production facilities which can ensure high quality, flexible capacity and the highest possible efficiency with a view to keeping production costs at a competitive level. Capacity must be adequate, also during the peak season, and the delivery rate must be first-class.

In 2007/2008, phase one of the company’s new strategic process plant for the tapping of sterile (aseptic) products was thus implemented. The process plant has increased the brewery’s combined capacity by 1 million hectolitres, bringing the total production capacity to approx. 9 million hectolitres. The plant, the commissioning of which was delayed for six months, is now fully up and running and displaying very satisfactory functionality.

The delayed start-up of production meant that the introduction of new products was postponed in certain markets. The plant is therefore not yet working to full capacity, but has meant more reliable deliveries as it has freed up capacity at other plants.

The total investment in the aseptic plant has amounted to DKK 135 million, of which an amount of DKK 34.5 million is covered by an investment grant. In FY 2007/2008, an amount of DKK 4.8 million was received, whereas the rest of the investment grant, approx. DKK 30.0 million is expected to be paid out at the end of

2008. Due to the delayed launch of the first aseptic products and on account of the unutilised capacity at the plant, the management does not expect phase two of the strategic investment to be initiated until FY 2009/10 at the earliest.

In addition to the investment in the new plant, the year has seen improvements, optimisations and expansions of the plants in Denmark, Germany and Estonia amounting to approx. DKK 60 million

With reference to the strategic focus on innovation and the development of new and value-adding products, investments are being made and production plants are being streamlined with a view to delivering solutions which are geared to the future.