Through Cooperation and International Expertise to Measurable Energy Savings in the Bakery Value Chain Success Story: Food Cluster Upper Austria
Date: 28.04.2025
Focus Topic: EU Activities and Internationalization, Energy and Mobility Transition
Bakeries in Austria find themselves caught between traditional craftsmanship and energy-intensive production. Baking ovens, cooling systems, pneumatic transport of flour and grain, as well as internal and external logistics – all these processes generate continuous energy costs and, with rising energy prices, can quickly turn into an economic risk. The leverage for improvement lies not only in optimizing processes within a single company but also in recognizing and unlocking cross-value-chain potential.
This is precisely where the Food Cluster Upper Austria, with its EENOVA initiative, comes in. In cooperation with several grain mills and bakeries in Upper Austria, structured energy analyses and audits were carried out. These identified not only opportunities for internal process optimization but also practical ways to establish energy savings across companies.
Specifically, energy efficiency audits in line with the Energy Efficiency Act were conducted, energy-intensive processes were identified, and possible improvements were developed. Various scenarios illustrated the direct benefits companies would gain by implementing these measures – including profitability analyses. Alongside quick wins, such as increasing the degree of automation in milling through sensors or improving pneumatic transport systems for ground goods, scenarios for a shared e-logistics fleet with stationary charging stations at milling companies were also developed. This concept is currently being rolled out in a cooperation of several companies in the bakery sector. By switching logistics along the entire value chain to e-vehicles, enormous amounts of energy in the form of fossil fuels can be saved. Through collaboration, companies can reduce the investment burden, which would otherwise pose a significant financial risk, especially for SMEs. An additional benefit: the infrastructure for e-vehicles – particularly e-trucks – in Austria is further expanded, improving the profitability of such systems. In this way, the approach not only reduces energy consumption in the food sector but also fosters essential cooperation between companies within the food production ecosystem.
A particularly noteworthy aspect of this project is that the methods and tools developed can be applied not only to other companies in the bakery industry but also to different value chains within the broader food sector. Based on the audits conducted and the measures implemented, food businesses can now easily, quickly, and with minimal administrative effort identify their energy optimization potential. At the same time, they can reliably estimate potential savings in energy, time, and costs. This structured approach is further strengthened by targeted information on suitable funding opportunities, including an assessment of the associated administrative effort. As a result, companies today have the knowledge they need to implement low-threshold efficiency measures ("low-hanging fruits") in a short time, access funding for measures requiring greater investment, and establish cross-value-chain energy systems with high savings potential for all participants.
The Food Cluster Upper Austria played a central role in successfully implementing these measures in the bakery industry. It connected companies with energy experts, introduced European expertise through the EU project EENOVA, and coordinated workshops, on-site visits, and targeted knowledge transfer. In addition, the cluster supported companies in developing industry-specific solutions to reduce energy consumption. In this way, international expertise was successfully translated into regional practice while creating a platform for companies to openly share experiences and insights – a decisive success factor for replicating the project.
Additional Information
Further information about the EENOVA-Project