Nordzucker successfully concludes long 2024/25 campaign
High beet yields and reliable processing
Nordzucker ends an extraordinarily long campaign that was characterized by high beet yields and stable processing throughout the Group. The campaign, which was concluded on February 15, 2025 at Nordzucker's German plant in Nordstemmen, had already begun at the end of August at the plants in Opalenica (Poland) and Schladen (Germany) due to high expected yields.
Beet harvester on field in front of Nordzucker plant in Claue
Nordzucker
With an average duration of 145 days (previous year: 135 days), the campaign was one of the longest in the company's history. While high beet yields were recorded across the Group, sugar content remained slightly below the five-year average. Later sowing than in previous years and a cool and wet spring initially slowed down the development of the beet. However, a growth spurt in the summer partially compensated for this. Later on, regular rainfall finally led to high beet yields, but also had an impact on the sugar content of the sugar beet. Overall, beet quality was good in most regions, with the exception of Slovakia. Leaf diseases occurred in many places there, but also in Germany.
"The stable temperatures in winter ensured good harvesting and processing conditions, so that the beet was of good quality right into January. Thanks to these good weather conditions and the excellent cooperation of everyone involved, we were able to run a very stable campaign. Despite the high beet volumes and the very long processing time, the campaign went very well overall," says Lars Gorissen, Chief Executive Officer of Nordzucker AG.
The crush, the processing of sugar cane, in Australia was already completed at the Marian plant on January 14, 2025. Around 4.85 million tons of sugar cane were processed. Heavy rainfall and storms in the region had recently affected the sugar cane harvest. For these reasons, two of Mackay Sugar's three plants stopped harvesting and processing sugar cane before Christmas.
Efficient processing performance and successful investments ensure CO2 reduction at the mills
Processing performance at the mills was very good across the Group and throughout the campaign. Major investments, such as the new 80,000-tonne sugar silo in Nordstemmen and the extraction tower in Uelzen, have already proved successful in their first campaign and are key milestones in achieving the company's CO2 reduction targets. The loss of the plant in Schladen due to a defect in the extraction tower was successfully compensated for by rescheduling the beet and the extraordinary performance of the other four sites: "The damage to the extraction tower in Schladen at the start of the campaign was certainly a challenge. I am all the more pleased that our beet logistics, production and the repairs to the tower were mastered with a great deal of commitment and enthusiasm on the part of our employees and that we brought this campaign to a safe and successful conclusion," emphasizes Alexander Godow, Chief Operating Officer of Nordzucker AG.
In the upcoming maintenance phase, extensive work will be carried out in the factories to prepare the plants for the next campaign and to further improve the factories' energy efficiency. In Nordstemmen, for example, the second stage of vapor recompression will be completed over the next few months. Here, steam is recycled and used several times, which saves energy and CO2 overall. The Danish plants in Nykøbing and Nakskov are currently being prepared for the use of biomethane, which is produced from the company's own beet pulp. Nordzucker is thus continuously implementing its GoGreen measures in the factories, which serve to gradually implement the decarbonization targets set and produce CO2-neutral sugar by 2050.
Overcoming challenges together and acting sustainably
The prospect of large quantities of sugar being produced and subdued demand in sugar consumption have caused sugar prices in the EU to fall very quickly and significantly since October 1, 2024. Alexander Bott, Chief Financial Officer of Nordzucker AG, explains: "Even though there are initial signs that we have bottomed out and the sugar market is recovering somewhat, we are still being severely impacted by the low market prices and rising costs. In addition to the volatile market, climate change and the CO2 reductions demanded by the market are challenges that need to be overcome. We can only tackle these major, long-term issues together. We are using a variety of company-wide programs to improve every day - in other words, to operate more efficiently, profitably and sustainably."
Spread of beet diseases caused by the reed glasswing cicada
"Looking to the future, it is clear that we have to deal with the diverse effects of climate change. We - and also our beet growers - are currently particularly concerned about the steady spread of the reed leafhopper, which is becoming more and more widespread due to changing weather conditions," explains Lars Gorissen. The glassy-winged cicada transmits beet diseases that have a massive impact on the sugar content of the beet and its processing quality. Nordzucker is working intensively on this issue, is active at various levels and is continuing to expand its network with research institutions, associations and growers. "In order to stop the spread of cicadas, plant protection products that have already been approved must also be approved for use against this pest in the short term. We are working with the sugar associations to achieve this. At the same time, we are intensifying research into the interactions between host plant, cicada and pathogen, the conversion of crop rotation and the cultivation of less susceptible varieties, as well as the storability and processing quality of sugar beet," explains Gorissen, adding: "Sugar beet is still an important part of agriculture and the basis for a secure food supply; it remains economically viable for our growers and in crop rotation.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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