A cane sugar factory that sets new standards

Kapal Api and BMA go for energy efficiency and sustainability

In Indonesia, one of the five major coffee producing countries worldwide, PT. Kapal Api Global ranges among the coffee producers with the highest sales. The third-generation family business produces a finely ground “3-in-1” mixture of instant coffee, creamer and sugar. Kapal Api have now commissioned BMA to supply the basic concept and basic engineering for construction of a cane sugar factory, focusing on particularly energy efficient and environmentally friendly sugar production. 

The initial plan: a cane sugar factory on Java 

Kapal Api were initially planning to build a cane sugar factory and refinery on the island of Java, to meet domestic demand of between roughly 800 and 1,000 t/d. The customer did his utmost to obtain the necessary licences for building a factory in the east of Java, holding many lengthy discussions with authorities and ministries, but to no avail. It also proved difficult to find a suitable plot of land that would offer a good supply of sugar cane and water, as well as meeting logistics requirements. 

The new concept: a cane sugar factory on the Maluku islands 

Faced with this situation, the BMA team could demonstrate its customer focus and ability to quickly respond to new requirements. The new plan is for a completely different factory concept. Kapal Api decided to establish its own sugar cane plantation on the Maluku islands, as well as building a cane sugar factory and refinery there. This will also be for the production of plantation white from imported raw sugar. 

BMA: engineering for all stations 

The basic engineering supplied by BMA will now serve to tailor the concept to the new challenges and provide a basis for work on the construction site. BMA’s scope of services comprises the complete engineering for all stations, planning the whole plant and all the processes involved. BMA will also be responsible for supplying the information necessary to obtain the official licences. 

A versatile, highly efficient factory 

One of the strengths of our concept is the high level of energy efficiency. Sugar cane bagasse is used as feedstock to provide the factory complex with energy all year round, minimising Kapal Api’s dependency on fossil fuels. The factory is also highly versatile. About a third of the equipment can be used in two processes, producing sugar from cane four to six months a year, and from imported raw sugar six to eight months. The sugar quality is consistently high. The customer is now working around the clock to meet all requirements and obtain the necessary licences, planning to start on the earthworks in the last quarter of 2021. Orders for long lead time items such as the boiler house, turbine and generator are expected to be dispatched before the end of the year, so sugar production can start in 2023. 

Sending a clear message across Asia 

With its unique specifications, Kapal Api’s new addition to the company’s range of factories for coffee roasting, grinding and the production of its coffee mixtures will be the first of its kind in Indonesia. It will also be the first privately owned cane sugar plant and set standards in energy efficiency and environmentally friendly production across Asia.