Strategic change drives renewal at GNT in Germany

GNT’s production facility in Heinsberg has recently been significantly expanded. The expansion includes new buildings for washing and storing raw materials, as well as new process lines and installations. NIRAS supported the project in process design, engineering, construction and commissioning.
Previously, the various types of vegetables and fruit were cleaned by external parties. In the new situation, GNT can carry out this step itself, enabling the company to purchase raw materials directly, without an intermediate stage. This shortens the supply chain and helps manage delivery risks. This strategic development required changes to the production facility in Heinsberg. For example, site logistics have been reorganised and provisions have been made for the removal of residual materials. New buildings have been constructed for the washing and cleaning of raw materials and for the storage of incoming goods flows, almost doubling the built-up area of the production site.

Production process as the guiding principle

The project had a timeline of almost two years. NIRAS in the Netherlands was involved from the initial concept through to the start-up and commissioning of the process and intralogistics installations. NIRAS’ work included the process design of the installations to be delivered, starting from the master plan. In collaboration with a Danish NIRAS expert, the master plan explored the positioning and layout of the new site, taking into account future plans such as capacity expansion or the processing of other raw materials, as well as energy use within processes and utilities. The project involved both modifications to existing areas and new construction, making it a complex challenge. A large part of the execution had to take place while production continued in the existing facility. Product safety, hygiene, quality and efficiency remained central throughout.

Many stakeholders, interests and points of attention had to be incorporated into the project planning. In collaboration with all disciplines and members of the client’s team, risks and potential issues were identified and addressed. Loading and unloading of raw materials and products, as well as access to work zones, had to be coordinated with daily goods flows to prevent bottlenecks in internal logistics. Close consultation with the various departments helped ensure that the works did not interfere with each other or with ongoing operations.

Water and residual streams

Washing raw materials requires substantial amounts of water, and GNT treats this responsibility with great care. In previous projects, the company had already integrated water use in an efficient and circular way. Various techniques, such as settling basins, were examined, with water filtration proving to be the most effective, scalable and efficient solution in operation. Christian Hospers, Senior Project Manager at NIRAS in the Netherlands, explains: “We are talking about enormous quantities of water. You cannot simply dispose of it, and there is no need to. It must be handled responsibly.” A strategic change also brings new responsibilities. By washing raw materials in-house, GNT also becomes responsible for the residual streams released during the process, such as sand, stone and biomass.

Pragmatism and project structure

GNT is an engaged family-owned company with a flat organisational structure and a pragmatic, open way of working. Collaboration is central: the desire to make progress as a team is deeply embedded in the company culture. This mindset makes the organisation agile and solution-oriented. At the same time, this informal structure can present challenges in larger or more complex projects. In this respect, NIRAS was able to provide clear added value. As an independent partner with both local knowledge and international project experience, NIRAS brought structure, assurance and scalability to the process in an accessible way.

Thanks to the combination of GNT’s future-focused vision and a structured approach, the project was not only delivered successfully, but also strengthened mutual trust, creating a solid foundation for future collaboration and for the execution and analysis of the first campaign. Both parties are now actively drawing on the initial lessons learned and using them to optimise the washing process and the handling of residual streams.