Safed coffee factory runs on coffee

February 3, 2009 - 8:28 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, Business, Environment, General, Technology 

Coffee power!Coffee-inspired energy is only becoming increasingly fashionable. Back in June, a team at the University of Leeds experimented with the same process used for roasting coffee beans as a method of releasing energy from a host of other crops, including wheat straw and certain types of grasses. The study concluded that this method has the potential boost the energy output of biomass power by up to 20%.

But what about using coffee itself? The concept of using coffee to obtain energy is hardly a new one, and here in Israel, where new energy sources are always an especially welcome discovery, coffee – especially the iconic Elite-brand instant – is a way of life.

Recently, Strauss Elite’s 1956-inaugurated instant coffee plant in Safed implemented a series of green measures, at an estimated expenditure of NIS 10 million, Haaretz reports. The measures include extending the height of the mill’s smokestack and upgrading filtration systems, with estimated efficiency increases resulting from the measures expected to pay for themselves within four years. But perhaps the most remarkable measure is that now the factory uses coffee regs to power itself:

At the beginning of this week, large furnaces were installed to burn the coffee beans at high temperatures to create steam. According to Strauss vice president Pini Kamari, the move will cut the factory’s shale consumption in half.

“This creates a direct connection between being ‘green’ and being efficient,” Kamari explained. “Motivation for the change came from our desire to cut costs, reducing energy costs and transportation costs for both the shale and the waste. At the same time, emissions will be much lower, both from the smokestacks and from the trucks [formerly needed to bring in fuel]. We will create less waste and need to bury less garbage. Noise will also be reduced.”

Image of Israeli coffee beans courtesy gkamin from Flickr under a Creative Commons license.

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There’s no more ‘after the holiday’

October 22, 2008 - 10:00 AM by · 3 Comments
Filed under: A New Reality, Business, General, Holidays, Israeliness, Life 

closed_sign.gifThe sounds of people taking down their succot is in the air, the month-long holiday season is over, and there’s no more excuses.

It’s virtually impossible to get anything done here in the weeks leading up to Rosh Hashana through the end of Succot. ‘Aharei Hachagim’ (after the holidays) has become a catchphrase that’s both made fun of and used constantly – by the same people. There’s no way to avoid saying it, even as you realize what a cliché it is.

Whether being fooled by the unpredictable – or basically non-existent – schedules for opening hours of banks, post offices, and government offices, trying to contact subjects for interviews, setting up parent-teacher meetings, or even worse, if you’re trying to do something life important, like buying or selling a house, the past month has been one cruel joke on anyone with an ounce of efficiency in their blood.

The country basically runs on auto pilot. I’m sure even in the IDF, there are signs posted on the doors outside senior military briefings about Iran saying ‘Convening after the holidays’. The only people who actually seemed to be doing anything were the rioters in Acre, and they probably weren’t upset at that Arab Yom Kippur driver, but because the Lotto lottery stands were closed so much.

But now, everything’s changed, and all the chips are being cashed. For all of the plumbers, lawyers, gardeners (alright, they’ve been saying ‘after shmita’ instead for a whole year), and a whole slew of other deadbeats who have pulled that line on me this past month, I expect you here at noon time today. We have work to do.

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