RAPUNZEL Naturkost GmbH & Co. KG
From coffee roasting to recovered energy at Rapunzel
“Our experience working with Exodraft was very good.
– Maximilian Quehl, Sustanability Manager – Rapunzel Naturkost
Everything was perfect right from the start. Very well managed, we were very happy.”
Project description
Giving excess heat a new purpose
At Rapunzel in southern Germany, sustainability is deeply embedded in the way the business operates. As a producer of organic food, the company is continually looking for ways to reduce energy consumption and make better use of the resources already available within its production.
The coffee roastery was an obvious place to start. Roasting generates a considerable amount of excess heat, and Rapunzel wanted to make use of that energy rather than simply letting it escape with the flue gas.
Working together with our partner, we therefore implemented a heat recovery solution that transfers energy from the hot flue gas into water through our efficient Basic Plate heat exchanger. With temperatures reaching up to 600 °C, coffee roasting offers significant potential for heat recovery. The recovered energy is then distributed to Rapunzel’s visitor centre, where it is used for hot water and heating.
The customer
Pioneering organic food with sustainability at heart
Founded in 1974, Rapunzel has grown into a well-established producer of organic food, with quality, responsibility and sustainability at the heart of the business. For decades, the company has played an active role in the development of the organic food sector and continues to combine responsible production with modern technology.
Sustainability is not treated as a separate initiative, but as part of Rapunzel’s broader approach to investment and operations. The company is constantly working to reduce energy use and focus its investments where they can deliver the greatest long-term value. Recovering heat from the coffee roastery fits naturally into that strategy and supports Rapunzel’s ambition to make an already sustainable production environment even more energy efficient.
Solution specifications
Turning roasting heat into a valuable resource
The system installed at Rapunzel is designed to capture the large amount of energy contained in the flue gas from the coffee roasting process. The heat is transferred through the Basic Plate heat exchanger into water, which is then stored in a buffer tank. This allows the recovered energy to be saved and used when demand arises elsewhere in the building.
The system is managed by our specially developed PLC, which ensures safe, stable and energy-efficient operation. It is directly connected to both the building management system and the PROBAT coffee roaster, allowing the heat recovery process to respond automatically to production conditions and current energy demand.
The recovered energy can be used for heating, hot water and cleaning, enabling Rapunzel to make direct use of energy that would otherwise be lost during the roasting process.
Handover and results
From installation to measurable impact
The solution was implemented with a strong focus on seamless integration into Rapunzel’s existing operations and on ensuring that the roastery, the building’s energy demand and the heat recovery system work effectively together.
Once commissioned, the system began recovering energy from the hot flue gas and putting it back to use instead of allowing it to go to waste. This reduces the need for additional heat generation and helps lower energy consumption, CO2 emissions and energy costs.
The project also demonstrates the particularly strong potential of heat recovery in high-temperature processes such as coffee roasting. For Rapunzel, the solution represents another practical step towards more energy-efficient and resource-conscious operations.
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