Industrial fire protection for the cocoa industry

Fire risks in the cocoa industry are real and costly

The processing of cocoa beans involves several critical steps: cleaning, thermal pre-treatment, roasting, grinding and transport. These processes generate high temperatures, mechanical friction and dust concentrations – ideal conditions for sparking and smouldering. Extraction and conveyor systems can allow these ignition sources to enter filters, silos or bunkers, where they can cause fires or explosions.

Suedzucker AG

The finely atomised water mist effectively prevents ignition sources from entering the filter system.Master of Measurement and Control Technology Manfred Mayr

A worrying trend that underlines the importance of fire prevention – extinguish fires before they spread!

The most effective method of minimising fire and explosion risks is to use powerful spark detection and extinguishing systems in combination with tailor-made fire protection concepts for machines and critical areas – developed and implemented by Fagus-GreCon.

> 1400

Fires recorded since 2014 – in Germany alone!

> 2200

Factory fires recorded worldwide in 2024.

> 2 bn €

per year is the amount of damage for German businesses.

GreCon PROTECTOR COCOA – our protection concept for the cocoa industry

The cocoa industry requires a protection system that is designed for high process temperatures, fine grinding degrees and complex conveyor routes.

The GreCon PROTECTOR offers a comprehensive safety concept

Detection of sparks, glowing particles and overheated components in milliseconds
Protection of all critical process areas: roasters, mills, transport lines
Protection of the entire extraction and conveyor chain: filters, cyclones, silos and bunkers
Automatic diversion or pinpoint low-pressure extinguishing – in 99% of cases without interruption
Modular design – scalable from a single unit to a complete plant solution

How GreCon PROTECTOR works

Detect – sensors identify sparks, hot particles or embers
Decide – the system evaluates the risk in real time
Extinguish – automatically, precisely and without interrupting production
Analyse – event data helps to eliminate causes in a targeted manner

Worker in blue GreCon outfit with clipboard and helmet

The future of preventive industrial fire protection

For over 50 years, we have been developing tailor-made industrial fire protection concepts for every individual challenge in industrial fire protection – reliable, practical and precisely tailored to your processes.

Trust in over 50 years of experience in more than 100 industries

Benefit from 75,000 individually tailored protection concepts and experience gained from over 200,000 protected production areas. With Fagus-GreCon, you can effectively protect your company from the devastating consequences of a fire.

Consequences of a fire – more than just damage

Fires in cocoa factories occur particularly often in areas with heavy dust accumulation and intense air movement. Extraction systems, filters, cyclones or silos can become sources of fire or explosion in a matter of seconds.

Consequences:

Injuries and loss of life
Damage to machinery, transport systems and storage facilities
Production downtime with high follow-up costs
Replacement costs for destroyed equipment
Increase in insurance premiums and stricter safety requirements
Loss of customers and long-term damage to reputation
Contractual penalties and delivery delays for chocolate manufacturers
Additional costs for emergency measures and external expert opinions

The costs of inaction are high. Effective fire protection is not only a safety measure, but a strategic necessity.

Hazards in the cocoa industry

The cocoa industry is particularly at risk because it works with high temperatures, combustible materials and complex conveyor systems. This combination creates an environment in which even small ignition sources can have serious consequences.

High temperatures in roasters and grinders
Sparking during mechanical processing and transport
Glowing particles in extraction and conveyor systems
Dust accumulation in filters, cyclones and silos
Defective machine parts and foreign objects
Additional risks from dry cocoa mass and fine powders

The result? An ideal environment for fires and explosions.

These risks are not theoretical – they are real, occur repeatedly and cause high costs. That is why effective fire protection is not an option, but a necessity.

And this is exactly where Fagus-GreCon comes in.