GEA has integrated its water-hydraulic Hydract actuation technology into its modular Varivent valve portfolio, offering beverage manufacturers and breweries substantial economic and operational cost savings.

By replacing conventional compressed-air actuators with a high-precision, water-hydraulic system, the inline blending technology delivers measurable reductions in both capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenses (OPEX).

Key pricing and economic advantages

• Up to 46% reduction in tank CAPEX – in a greenfield brewery design, precise inline blending reduces the required number of bright beer tanks (BBTs) from 26 down to 14.
• Higher asset utilisation – average tank capacity utilisation increases from 54% to 90%, enabling plants to scale output without investing in costly facility expansions.
• Over 95% reduction in valve actuation energy costs – by eliminating energy-intensive compressed air generation in favor of a closed-loop water-hydraulic system (using treated water or a water-glycol mixture), electricity consumption for valve actuation drops by more than 95%.
• Reduced working capital & inventory carrying costs – enabling late product differentiation allows breweries to blend streams continuously near the filling line rather than storing multiple finished variants weeks in advance. Lead times from tank to bottling shrink from weeks to hours, unlocking tied-up working capital and minimising buffer inventory.
• Lower cleaning and operational costs (OPEX) – managing fewer tank states and reducing finished-product holding cuts clean-in-place (CIP) cycles, chemical usage, water consumption, and product losses.

Flexible retrofit capability

The Hydract system can be retrofitted onto existing Varivent valve matrixes and run in parallel with legacy pneumatic valves, allowing producers to target high-ROI process steps without committing to a full plant overhaul.

Industry validation and commercial impact

Commercial deployment at the Carlsberg brewery in Fredericia, Denmark, demonstrated that key parameters such as Brix, alcohol content, and CO₂ remain stable even during significant throughput fluctuations.

“Precise valve control gives us significantly more room for maneuver in process design,” noted Bastian Tolle, head of business development & digitalisation at GEA’s Valves & Pumps unit. “Product variants can be created later, existing tanks are better utilised, and new plants can be planned with less buffer and tank capacity. For breweries with growing product portfolios, this represents a very concrete economic lever.”

Anders Kokholm, head of brewing and quality management at Carlsberg Supply Company Denmark, added: “With Hydract valves, we can precisely control the process even when the valve is closed. This gives us the opportunity to manufacture product variants shortly before bottling, maintaining lower inventories, increasing efficiency in the filling plant, producing on-demand just-in-time, and reducing product losses.”

GEA is launching Hydract actuation across key Varivent models, including single-seat (Type N), changeover (Type W), and double-seat valves (Types R and D), with further valve types scheduled to follow. The system will be showcased live at BrauBeviale 2026 in Nuremberg (Hall 9, Stand 362).