SHERIDAN, WYOMING – April 15, 2025 - Carlsberg Bulgaria Marks New Era with In-House Canning Powered by KHS Technology
Strategic move boosts efficiency, sustainability, and market responsiveness
Carlsberg Bulgaria has made a pivotal leap forward by bringing its beer canning operations in-house for the very first time. Partnering with industry leader KHS, the move is a landmark in the company’s continuous pursuit of innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability in beverage production.
Legacy of brewing meets modern innovation
A rich brewing heritage redefined for the future
With roots dating back to 1882 in Shumen, Carlsberg Bulgaria carries a legacy that blends history and innovation. Following a nationalization in 1944 and subsequent privatization in 1999, the breweries in Shumen and Blagoevgrad unified in 2004 under the Carlsberg Bulgaria banner. Today, they are among the nation’s most dynamic beverage producers, delivering over two million hectoliters annually.
The company’s diverse portfolio includes iconic local beers like Pirinsko—the country’s top domestic brand—and Shumensko, alongside international favorites such as Tuborg, Žatecký, 1664 Blanc, Budweiser, Erdinger, and Grimbergen. Non-beer beverages like Somersby Cider and Garage also play a key role in their offerings.
Meeting market demand with smart canning solutions
In-house canning brings agility and new possibilities
Rising demand for canned beverages prompted Carlsberg Bulgaria to install its own canning line in January 2023 at its Blagoevgrad facility. Previously reliant on imports, the company now controls this crucial stage of production.
“We’re the leading domestic beer producer in terms of both quantity and value,” says Metodi Stoyanov, integrated supply chain director. “We’re one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing filling companies in our sector.”
KHS delivered a solution that supports up to 40,000 500- and 550-milliliter or 60,000 330-milliliter cans per hour. “We need far less room for can filling than we do for filling PET and glass bottles. Given the limited space available to us, that’s one advantage, of course. What’s more, the KHS machines are less complex, making them easier to both operate and maintain. Production thus runs smoothly and without any issues. I’m particularly delighted with the high level of efficiency: we achieve an OEE of 76%,” Stoyanov smiles.
Overcoming obstacles with precision and partnership
A seamless installation despite global supply chain turbulence
Despite facing post-pandemic supply chain challenges, the installation was executed seamlessly. “The project began during the aftermath of the Covid pandemic when there were lots of supply chain challenges,” Stoyanov recalls. “KHS was an extremely well-organized and reliable partner for us here. Once the parts had all been delivered, the schedule for installation and commissioning was precisely adhered to, even though at the same time we still had to complete our new production shop.”
Compact, clean, and energy-smart design
High hygiene standards drive smart equipment choices
Carlsberg Bulgaria chose the KHS Innopro KZE flash pasteurizer over traditional tunnel systems to optimize space and energy use. “We don’t can any sensitive beverages that we’d need a tunnel pasteurizer for,” explains Stoyanov. “Thanks to our high hygiene standards during the filling process, we’re instead able to use a flash pasteurizer on all of our systems. This improves the taste of our products. It also takes up far less space. And thanks to the faster heat transfer, we use less energy.”
Post-filling, the cans pass through a KHS Innopas WICG compact heater to prevent condensation-related issues. “The containers are filled with cold beer at a temperature of 8 to 10°C. Our compact heater raises their temperature to 20 to 28°C to prevent the formation of condensation,” explains Frank Schneidermann, global key account manager at KHS.
Built for the long run
Service-backed reliability ensures uninterrupted performance
Carlsberg Bulgaria also signed a three-year service agreement that includes predictive maintenance and KHS’ ReDiS remote diagnostics system. “The reliable and continual support that we receive from the KHS Service team is extremely important to us. After all, we’re new to the world of can filling and using our technology partner’s expertise we’re first safeguarding our production processes,” says Stoyanov.
Training and on-site collaboration with KHS engineers further reinforce knowledge transfer and operational confidence. “Although training is part of the service package,” adds Stoyanov, “he’s convinced that his operators will learn the most by looking over the shoulders of KHS’ service engineers and putting their acquired theoretical knowledge into practice.”
To learn more about Carlsberg Bulgaria, visit https://www.carlsberggroup.com/.