From spending thousands on gas to producing with solar energy: how the confectionery industry is gaining a competitive edge.
The global confectionery industry is at a turning point. Candy and sweet manufacturers are facing growing pressure from rising energy costs, tighter CO₂ regulations, and increasing expectations from retailers and consumers to demonstrate real progress in sustainability. At the same time, production volumes continue to grow, recipes are becoming more complex, and quality requirements leave no room for compromise.
For many manufacturers, the question is no longer whether to decarbonize, but how to do so without losing reliability, cost control, or operational flexibility.
We work daily with food and confectionery producers across Europe as they navigate this transition. Our experience in Spain and the Netherlands shows that renewable industrial heat has moved from being a pilot concept to becoming proven production infrastructure, especially in heat-intensive sectors such as sweets and sauces.
This article examines how the confectionery sector, represented at ISM Cologne, is entering a new phase of energy transformation and how solar thermal heat combined with storage is redefining, in practical terms, what it means to produce sweets sustainably.
The Confectionery Industry at ISM Cologne
Innovation is no longer limited to ingredients and packaging
ISM Cologne brings together more than 1.300 exhibitors from over 70 countries and represents the full global spectrum of the sweets and snacks sector. Traditionally, innovation at ISM has focused on flavors, textures, sugar reduction, plant-based alternatives, and packaging design.
In recent years, however, a new axis of innovation has gained prominence: sustainability in industrial processes.
An increasing number of confectionery producers, both large and mid-sized, recognize that their future competitiveness will depend not only on product innovation, but also on how they produce. Retailers, private labels, and regulators are now demanding significant reductions in CO₂ emissions across the entire value chain, including energy consumption in manufacturing.
For candy manufacturers, this poses a structural challenge. Unlike other food sectors, confectionery production relies heavily on high-temperature process heat, typically in the form of steam at 170 – 180 °C. These temperatures have traditionally been generated using natural gas or LPG boilers, exposing factories to fossil fuel price volatility.
Why Heat Matters More Than Electricity in Candy Production
While much of the sustainability debate revolves around electrification and renewable electricity, the reality inside confectionery factories is different. Sweet production uses heat in nearly every critical process step:
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- Cooking and boiling sugar syrups, candies, gels, and marshmallow bases
- Melting sugar, glucose, chocolate, fats, and gelatin-based masses
- Baking pastries, biscuits, and sweet breads
- Roasting nuts and ingredients
- Drying and dehydrating gummies, coatings, and baked products
- Pasteurizing fillings, creams, and syrups
- Sterilization and CIP processes using hot water or steam
These processes require stable, controllable heat at high temperatures, often continuously over long production shifts. In many plants, heat accounts for more than 50% of total energy consumption. Electrifying these processes with electric boilers or heat pumps often involves costly grid upgrades, temperature limitations, and greater exposure to electricity price volatility. This is where direct renewable heat generation becomes strategically valuable.
A Case Study in Spain
Sustainable Heat for a Mid-Sized Confectionery Manufacturer
To understand how sustainable candy production materializes in practice, we analyzed a recent Suncom study for a mid-sized confectionery manufacturer in southern Spain. The factory produces a wide range of products, including hard candies, gummies, pastries, and specialty baked goods. It combines traditional recipes with modern industrial processes and supplies both its own brands and private-label customers.
Thermal Demand Profile
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- Annual energy consumption: 10.1 GWh thermal
- Operating days: 6 days per week
- Required process temperature: steam at 170 –180 °C
- Current fuel: natural gas
- Approximate annual energy cost: €626,200
Like many producers in the sector, the plant faced several challenges:
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- High volatility in gas prices
- Rising CO₂ costs under the European ETS and the introduction of ETS2 in 2027
- Aging boiler infrastructure with increasing maintenance costs
- Pressure to reduce emissions without compromising production reliability
- Dependence on external fuel suppliers
The Suncom Solution
Solar Thermal Heat Designed for Industrial Reality
We designed a renewable heat system tailored to the plant’s operating profile, available space, and temperature requirements.
System Configuration
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- 250 solar collectors (SunArcs) for high-efficiency solar thermal generation
- 2 SunTES storage units of 60 m³ each
- Total mirror surface: 5,300 m²
- Land area used: 10,600 m²
- Renewable heat delivered: 4,106 MWh per year
- Total heat generated: 4,852 MWh per year
- Share of demand covered: 41%
This configuration was selected to optimize the cost of heat within the available space and to ensure sufficient storage to match production schedules.
Results and Impact
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- Cost of renewable heat: €31.63 per MWh
- Net investment: €1.36 million
- Public support via subsidies and CAEs: approximately 50%
- Annual CO₂ reduction: 1,025 tonnes
For a confectionery manufacturer, these results are not just an environmental improvement. They translate directly into predictable energy costs, reduced regulatory risk, and structural independence from fossil fuel markets.
Thermal Storage as a Key Enabler
One of the most important conclusions from this and other confectionery projects is the central role of thermal storage. Solar thermal systems already provide low-cost heat, but storage turns them into a fully industrial solution.
Suncom’s thermal storage enables:
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- Storing heat during peak solar production
- Using it at night or during cloudy periods
- Decoupling heat generation from process demand
This ensures 24/7 heat availability, a critical requirement for factories with continuous or semi-continuous processes. In addition, storage enables Power-to-Heat flexibility. When electricity prices fall due to high renewable penetration, or even turn negative, surplus electricity can be converted into heat and stored. This hybrid approach places early adopters at the forefront of industrial energy optimization.
Preparing for ETS2 and the Phase-Out of Fossil Fuels
From 2027 onward, ETS2 will extend carbon pricing to new sectors, structurally increasing the cost of fossil fuel use in Europe. For heat-intensive industries such as confectionery, this will permanently change the economics of production. The Spanish case shows that investing early in renewable heat allows manufacturers to:
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- Reduce exposure to future CO₂ taxes
- Stabilize operating costs
- Meet internal sustainability targets
- Strengthen their position with customers and distributors
In markets like Spain, with high solar irradiation and public support mechanisms, the business case for solar thermal heat is already solid today.
Why This Matters for the ISM Audience
Many companies present at ISM Cologne operate multiple factories across Europe. What begins as a study or pilot project at one site can quickly scale to other plants with similar thermal profiles. Candy production is particularly well suited to solar thermal solutions because:
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- Process temperatures align well with the technology
- Production schedules are predictable
- Land availability is often sufficient
- Heat demand is stable throughout the year
From Suncom’s perspective, the confectionery sector represents one of the clearest pathways to large-scale industrial decarbonization without compromising product quality or operational control.
From Case Study to Industrial Standard
We are witnessing a shift in mindset. Sustainable candy production is no longer defined solely by marketing messages or packaging decisions. Increasingly, it is defined by how heat is generated in the factory. Early adopters benefit from:
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- Lower long-term energy costs
- Reduced regulatory exposure
- A stronger position with customers and investors
- A credible sustainability narrative backed by measurable data
As more manufacturers adopt renewable heat solutions, solar thermal with storage is moving from a niche innovation to an industrial benchmark.
The Next Step for Candy Manufacturers
If you are a candy or sweets manufacturer, now is the time to evaluate your heat strategy. At Suncom Energy, we support manufacturers with:
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- Plant-specific feasibility studies
- Detailed thermal demand analysis
- Financial modeling that includes subsidies and ETS impact
- Turnkey systems or Heat as a Service models
- Long-term support, monitoring, and optimization
Ready to explore renewable process heat for your candy production?
Take the next step toward more efficient and sustainable manufacturing. Contact us and receive a feasibility assessment tailored to your production schedule, temperature requirements, and growth plans. Sustainable candy production is no longer a future ambition, it is a strategic decision that starts today, with how you produce heat.
