South African apple and pear producer Betko has boosted its cold‑chain capacity and significantly extended the storage life of its fruit following the installation of a new controlled‑atmosphere (CA) facility engineered by processing specialist GEA.

The project, completed in under a year, allows Betko to hold fruit for up to 14 months while cutting peak power demand by 20 per cent, easing pressure on the region’s constrained electricity grid.

How GEA helped Betko unlock longer storage

Betko Fresh Produce, which farms 1,000 hectares in South Africa’s Western Cape, needed additional cooling capacity as production expanded and its existing site reached both space and power limits.

GEA designed a new CA complex in Sunnyside that integrates building design, chamber layout and refrigeration technology into a single energy‑optimised system.

Key elements include:

• Controlled‑atmosphere chambers — 24 rooms, each holding 1,200 bins stacked 11 high, increasing capacity without expanding the footprint.
• Adaptive suction set point control — GEA’s real‑time optimisation system recalculates the ideal operating point every 60 seconds for each chamber.
• GEA Grasso V‑series compressors — variable‑speed units that ramp up without power spikes and operate efficiently during cooler months.
• Energy‑optimised building envelope — including insulated floors, a first for a CA facility of this type.

Together, these measures reduce peak electricity demand by 20 per cent — enabling Betko to increase throughput without drawing additional grid power.

What extended storage means for Betko

The ability to store apples and pears for 12–14 months gives Betko far greater control over global distribution. Previously, limited cooling space forced fruit onto the market earlier than ideal. Now, Betko can time shipments to Africa, Asia, the EU and the UK more strategically, improving quality and commercial returns. In the first season alone, the new facility processed more than 37,000 bins, surpassing its design expectations. 

A 30‑year partnership

The project marks the latest chapter in a collaboration between Betko and GEA dating back to 1992. Betko’s leadership says they granted GEA full freedom to optimise the system because of longstanding trust — a decision validated by the facility’s performance and rapid delivery.