GEA Targets Brewery Capacity Gains Through Tank Cleaning

GEA is positioning tank cleaning as a way for breweries to recover production time and reduce cleaning resource use without immediately investing in additional tanks. The company announced its new AdaptAx orbital tank cleaner on 15 October, alongside other process-improvement options for breweries preparing for BrauBeviale 2026.

GEA says AdaptAx delivers up to 30% higher mechanical cleaning force than the previous generation. Its modular design allows nozzle configurations to be adapted to different tank geometries and cleaning requirements. The company argues that improved cleaning performance can help breweries review cleaning time, flow rates and operating pressure rather than treating cleaning cycles as fixed downtime.

A model calculation from GEA illustrates the potential. For a tank farm of 50 fermentation and storage tanks cleaned weekly, the company estimates that reducing a cleaning cycle from 60 to 45 minutes could free up around 650 additional tank hours a year. The model also projects a reduction in cleaning-in-place (CIP) water volume from 100 to 60 cubic metres per cycle. These are scenario-based estimates, not independently verified results, and actual performance will depend on tank design, soil levels and cleaning requirements.

For breweries across Asia, the wider operational question is how to increase capacity while managing water, energy, wastewater and production schedules. Cleaning optimisation may be particularly relevant where expansion space is limited or demand fluctuates between product types. Before adopting a new cleaning system, plants would need to validate hygiene outcomes and compare water and energy use under their own operating conditions. A shorter cycle is useful only if it consistently achieves the required cleaning standard.