Suikerunie Dinteloord
Description
As part of the History of Process Technology, we would like to invite you to an excursion to Suikerunie in Dinteloord on Friday 26 November next at 10.30 am.
This excursion is being organised as a collaboration of the Dutch Process Technologists with the Chemistry Historical Group of the KNCV and the History Section of the Royal Flemish Chemical Society and will focus on the 150th anniversary of the beet sugar industry in the Netherlands
Suikerunie is part of Royal Cosun, the international producer of foodstuffs and ingredients. Partly influenced by European policy, it has now concentrated beet sugar production in two modern and efficient factories in Hoogkerk (Groningen) and Dinteloord (West Brabant) respectively.
The first beet sugar factory in the Netherlands was founded in Zevenbergen in 1858. Up to 1873, 22 more were added in West Brabant. This so-called "Suikerhoek" formed the centre of the Dutch sugar industry for a long time. The first cooperative sugar factory, Dinteloord, was also set up here in 1908.
The beet sugar industry is characterised by continuous rationalisation, modernisation, scaling-up and organisational and managerial adjustments.
During the campaign, from September to December/January, approx. 21,000 tonnes of beet per day (800 truckloads) are supplied. During the company visit, we see how the beets are processed in a fully continuous process of storage, cleaning and cutting. In a continuous countercurrent extraction process, the sugar from the trimmings is dissolved in water. The remaining pulp is dried and sold as animal feed. The sugar solution is then concentrated in several steps (raw juice - thin juice - thick juice) until the sugar content is increased from 15% to 70%. The juice is then thickened in large vacuum boiling pans, after which, under the addition of fine sugar crystals, a crystal mash with many crystals and little juice is formed. After cooling, the viscous mass of crystals and syrup goes to a filtering centrifuge, where the sugar is separated from the syrup. This operation is repeated several times to obtain the highest possible sugar yield.
The sugar is stored in silos and distributed from there. The remaining syrup, molasses, is raw material for the manufacture of alcohol.
The organisation requires the motivated and flexible efforts of all employees. After the campaign, they are busy clearing, cleaning, repairing, maintaining and rebuilding.
For years there has been talk of an Agro-Food Centre around the sugar factory, where residual heat and by-products can be put to good use. This AFC will now be realised in the not too distant future
10.30 - 11.00 Reception with coffee/tea
11.00 - 11.15 Mr P. Mesters - Suikerunie
Introduction Sugar industry in the Netherlands
11.15 - 12.00 Dr Martijn Bakker - Radboud Hospital - Nijmegen:
Sugar in structures
Development of the Dutch sugar industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries
12.00 - 12.45 Mr Staf Thomas - Archivist-curator of the Suikermuseum in Tienen
The chemistry of heritage.
12.45 - 13.15 Dscussion
13.30 - 14.30 Lunch
14.30 - 15.15 Mr Luc Kroes - Suikerunie
Historical and current Technology
15.15 - 16.30 Guided tour of factory with visit to museum
16.30 - 17.00 After-dinner chat in canteen
Location
Noordzeedijk 113, 4671 TL Dinteloord
Organiser
Dutch Process Technologists
Chemistry Historical Group KNCV
Name and contact details for information
Mar van Doorn
Apply via
Ad Minderhoud, tel. 020-3375446
a.minderhoud@kpnplanet.nl