Sugar production Defective oven continues to paralyze Frauenfeld sugar factory
The Frauenfeld sugar factory, which is at a standstill due to a defective oven, will remain out of operation until further notice. According to those responsible, it is not worth repairing the defective lime kiln, which is necessary for production.
03.12.2025, 17:47
SDA
According to a statement issued by Schweizer Zucker AG on Wednesday evening, it is unclear how long the shutdown will last. Among other things, the broken-down kiln supplies the burnt lime and carbon dioxide (CO2) that are essential for sugar production from beet.
Attempts are now being made to procure these essential operating materials externally. If this is possible, the factory will be able to resume operations, at least on a reduced scale. With a view to beet processing next year, options are being examined, such as whether a new kiln should be built or whether the operating materials should be procured externally in the long term.
Most of the beet already delivered to Frauenfeld will be transported by rail to Aarberg BE, where Schweizer Zucker AG's second factory is located. Due to the delay, this year's beet campaign will last beyond January 2026, Schweizer Zucker AG wrote, asking the industry for patience.
Sugar sales and deliveries to customers will not be affected by the outage in Frauenfeld, Schweizer Zucker AG wrote. Domestic sugar production is also not at risk. Schweizer Zucker AG was unable to provide any information on the costs of the shutdown, according to the press release.
A spokesperson for Schweizer Zucker AG told Keystone-SDA that redundancies or short-time working are not currently an issue. The sugar factory, which has been shut down since November 23, is one of two Swiss sugar production sites. Two thirds of this year's beet harvest has been processed; 580,000 tons of beet are still waiting to be processed.
