Holderhof commits to e-mobility

The harvest wagon and the mower, which is currently cutting the last peppermint of the year, are particularly loud. The tractor pulling them, on the other hand, is barely audible. No wonder: it runs on an electric motor. Only when operations manager Remo Knöpfel drives the full harvest wagon to the drying facility can a faint whirring of the electric motor be heard. At the beginning of October, the e107 Vario from tractor manufacturer Fendt arrived at the Holderhof farm in Ufhofen. This is indeed Fendt's first fully electric standard tractor in Switzerland. Remo Knöpfel will use it in future for harvesting herbs, planting young plants and harrowing the soil. And how does it feel to drive? «Actually, it's not that different from a diesel tractor – apart from the lack of noise,» he replies. 

Holderhof reduces CO₂ emissions

Electric mobility has hardly made an impact on Swiss fields so far. This is not only due to the lack of available models. The switch from conventional diesel to electric drive has its pitfalls. The quiet electric motors are very efficient, but they come to see their limits when it comes to strenuous work such as ploughing, mulching or tilling, and the battery quickly runs out. To recharge it over lunchtime, a powerful charging station is needed on the farm, but this comes at a price. Remo Knöpfel has to plan the e-tractor's operations carefully. He smiles: «I don't want to get stuck in the middle of a field.» Despite everything, Holderhof is convinced of the innovative technology and hopes that the showcase project will set a precedent for other farms.

Transport with electric lorries

Holderhof is firmly committed to electric mobility. Company founder Christof Schenk has been driving an electric car for years. He knows what he is talking about. With its investment in a fleet of electric lorries, the eastern Swiss food and beverage producer is now going one step further. Together with Keller Transporte AG in Bischofszell, Holderhof recently purchased four Mercedes Benz electric lorries. Christof Schenk has set a clear goal: «Within two years, the electric lorries should be delivering 90 per cent of Holderhof products.» In addition to electrifying its vehicles, the company is also working consistently to reduce ist carbon footprint in the manufacture of its products. A considerable amount of energy is required to produce the 70 million bottles of beverages manufactured annually at the Henau site and to process the 20,000 tonnes of fruit into juice and purées at the Sulgen site. Added to this comes the company's own herb drying facility in Ufhofen. The electricity required for these processes comes exclusively from renewable energies. This includes 1.3 million kilowatt hours of solar power from the company's own roofs. This covers a third of the electricity requirements, with the rest being purchased by the company in the form of certified hydroelectric power.

Using energy efficiently

By using energy efficiently, Holderhof is focusing on another building block in reducing the carbon footprint of its products. Holderhof uses numerous technologies to achieve this. For example, the waste heat from juice production at the fruit processing centre in Sulgen heats the entire building in winter. The free cooling principle is another unspectacular but very efficient way of saving energy: in winter, the cold outside air cools the halls in Sulgen with the storage tanks. For Christof Schenk, consistently reducing the carbon footprint of Holderhof products is a matter close to his heart: «I work towards this goal every single day!»

Externally, the electric tractor hardly differs from a diesel-powered tractor.

Holderhof owner Christof Schenk (left) receives a personal explanation of the electric tractor.

Holderhof covers a third of its electricity needs with its own solar energy, as seen here on the roof of the fruit processing centre in Sulgen.