KHS Innoplant: from initial idea to turnkey beverage plant and beyond
KHS Group is expanding its advisory and planning expertise
- Strategic consultancy forms the basis for tailored concepts
- End-to-end line design combines detailed engineering, implementation and long-term support
- Open-system flexibility for customized systems and solutions
Dortmund, November 2, 2026 – Map out the course before breaking ground: this is the guiding principle behind the KHS Group’s expansion of its advisory and planning expertise. KHS Innoplant combines specialized consultancy and engineering to create an integrated service that provides beverage producers with support long before they decide to invest – and way beyond the commissioning of their customized system.
KHS’ expanded service is aimed at both established and startup beverage industry bottlers launching greenfield projects in dynamic segments such as water, CSDs, juice or RTD products. Kai Acker, CEO of KHS, comments on the latest addition to the company portfolio: “With KHS Innoplant we come in early on in the strategic planning phase – for investing in a modern beverage plant starts long before you choose the first machine. This allows us to contribute our expertise more comprehensively and develop holistic systems and solutions together with our customers that are consistently tailored to their individual requirements."
It all starts with the business model
In a branch of industry where planning usually starts with a factory structure or individual line specifications, KHS Innoplant goes back one step further. “Before going into any planning detail, we first focus on which business model is to be realized with the new beverage plant and which market goals our customers wish to achieve,” says Heiko Bucher, senior lead consultant at KHS. Bucher has over two decades of experience in the consultancy and design of complete turnkey lines for the international beverage industry. His profound expertise enables him to study the requirements of operators of new builds and expansion projects in great depth.
Whether there are insufficient in-house engineering capacities, media consumption is hard to calculate or full budget plans need to be drawn up for bank negotiations, KHS Innoplant takes everything into consideration with its 360° approach. Bucher’s team guides customers through the entire process in a structured and transparent manner. “Clients often have little more than a vision of entering a market or setting up a new location to start with. With our helicopter view, we always examine the big picture – way beyond the mere filling line,” Bucher explains. Besides the actual production technology itself, further important aspects such as building dimensions, traffic areas, intralogistics, energy supply and integration into regional infrastructure are thus also always included in design and layout planning.
Phase 1: laying the foundation for banks and investors
The joint undertaking is split into four consecutive stages. It all starts with a feasibility study and master plan. “During the first phase, we translate the basic idea into solid facts and figures,” states Bucher. “In addition to product consultancy and design, we also calculate the necessary capacities and specific reference values for future media consumption, logistics and space requirements in good time. We develop suitable line concepts for the beverage plant, aiming to tailor energy and resource usage to actual demand. Based on this, transparent budgets for initial investment (CAPEX) and day-to-day operating costs (OPEX) and professional business plans are then drawn up.” The results form a solid investment and finance plan. “Our customers greatly appreciate the fact that they can present investors and banks with reliable figures; this gives all those involved enormous security right from the outset,” Bucher continues.
Phases 2 to 4: from detailed concept to long-term partnership
The ensuing project design phase calls for detailed planning of the system technology and factory layout. One special focus here is on the utilization of resources: the expert KHS Innoplant Utility team develops media supply solutions specifically geared to the respective project, incorporating heat pumps, photovoltaics or biomass plants, for instance. Says Bucher, “our aim is to create ideal conditions for on-demand system operation through predictive utility planning.”
Once planning has been completed, on request KHS then handles the turnkey execution, installation and commissioning of the site. With the subsequent production launch and filling of the first beverages, KHS’ holistic service enters its final phase: the provision of ongoing life cycle support to help ensure reliable and economically plannable line operation over the long term. “We don’t just hand over the key and let the customer get on with it,” emphasizes Bucher. “We specifically qualify operating personnel on site, optimize processes during ongoing operation and are a constant reliable partner at our client’s side.”
Strong network for customized systems and solutions
Customers also benefit from the open-system policy that distinguishes KHS Innoplant, with KHS’ worldwide network enabling partner expertise to be seamlessly integrated into planning. “We don’t think in rigid system boundaries but consciously opt for flexibility,” Bucher states. “Where partner systems prove to be the most prudent technical or cost-effective addition, we incorporate the relevant know-how. This allows us to smoothly dovetail different areas of expertise and develop an overall concept that perfectly matches the respective business model and operational conditions.”
KHS will be introducing KHS Innoplant to trade visitors for the first time at the forthcoming Gulfood Manufacturing (November 3–5 in Dubai, UAE) and BrauBeviale (November 10–12 in Nuremberg, Germany) trade shows.
Kai Acker (source: Frank Reinhold)
“With KHS Innoplant we’re specifically extending our customer support to include the early strategic planning phase – for investing in a modern beverage plant starts long before you choose the first machine,” states Kai Acker, CEO of KHS GmbH.
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Heiko Bucher (source: Frank Reinhold)
“With our helicopter view, we always examine the big picture – way beyond the mere filling line,” says Heiko Bucher, senior lead consultant at KHS, of KHS Innoplant’s holistic approach.
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Phase 1 (source: mmpro Media AG)
Strategic consultancy and master planning: KHS Innoplant translates customer visions into reliable feasibility studies, initial layouts and transparent CAPEX/OPEX calculations.
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Phase 2 (source: mmpro Media AG)
Project design and media concept: from line engineering and factory layouts to utility solutions such as photovoltaics and heat pumps.
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Phase 3 (source: mmpro Media AG)
Turnkey implementation and commissioning: after planning, on request KHS then takes on the entire installation and turnkey commissioning of the site.
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Phase 4 (source: mmpro Media AG)
Life cycle support and process optimization: long-term service, on-site training and continuous process optimization way beyond the start of production.
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