Although not widely acknowledged, the financial gains that a high-quality roaster can generate for coffee roasting companies often outweigh the savings in fuel. For example, the Opus 4000 roaster, known for its ability to consistently deliver 1% to 3% lower roasting loss of roasted coffee compared to other drum roasters, offers a significant competitive advantage. Lilla's CEO, Fernando Fernandes, explains, "Considering the relatively narrow profit margins, a 2% reduction in green coffee purchase, which accounts for at least 70% of the product cost, provides a growth opportunity".

Through years of dedicated research, Lilla has meticulously examined crucial factors that can enhance the yield of its roasters. In the development of this new roaster, significant improvements were made to the geometry of the roasting chamber, as well as various aspects of the entire system. The redesigning of material thickness and the replacement of impellers were carried out with a primary emphasis on increasing yield.

The tangible results of lower roasting loss achieved by the Opus 4000 were evident at Melitta, surpassing the performance of the adjacent tangential roaster from another brand. In quantitative terms, a significant 0.7% increase in yield was observed, particularly for Melitta's key product.

Considering a machine capable of roasting 4 tons of green coffee per hour, operating continuously for 24 hours a day, 350 days a year, even under a conservative estimate of 1% savings in green coffee, we can preserve an area of nearly 200 hectares, equivalent to almost 200 football fields.

Fuel Consumption Reduction

Over the past few years, Lilla has implemented significant changes in its designs. Keeping up with the fast-paced demands of the modern world, Lilla has dedicated time to numerous modifications in its roasters. "Even small design changes can yield substantial gains in efficiency. However, in order to achieve a new level of fuel savings, we decided to take more than one step forward. When comparing our current models, particularly the Opus 4G, to our roasters from 5 years ago, despite sharing many common components, they are conceptually distinct," explains Fernandes.

The redesign of the roasting chamber, hot pipe pathways, furnace placement, furnace design, materials, fans, catalyst systems where applicable, maintenance accessibility, automation concepts, safety mechanisms, and ergonomics are just some of the key areas that have been revamped in the Opus 4G line over the past 5 years. During this period, the Engineering Division has doubled its workforce. "This market is highly competitive. Being based in Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, we recognize that we possess an advantage over our competitors due to the availability of a wide range of coffee qualities, from the lowest grade to the most exceptional ones. When validating a roaster, the most intriguing challenge lies in achieving optimal results with the lowest-grade coffee. Once we accomplish that, we can roast any type of coffee to perfection. This, we believe, is our main strength. We will never tell a customer that they cannot roast a proper coffee. It is our duty to roast it," emphasizes Fernandes.

Opus 4000 4G has quickly become a success, despite being launched less than 16 months ago. The fuel consumption figures are truly impressive. For blends consisting of 50% Arabica and 50% Robusta, with a medium roast level, the average fuel consumption is 28 m³ of normalized natural gas per ton of green coffee. This means that the Opus is approximately 25% more efficient than most other brand-new roasters on the market. The general expectation in the industry is around 40 m³/ton for such blends.

Considering a roaster operating 24 hours a day, 350 days per year, the difference between

30 m³/ton and 40 m³/ton equates to a substantial amount of natural gas. For two machines roasting 4000 kg/h of green coffee, one of them being Opus 4000 4G and the other a conventional brand-new drum roaster, the savings amount to 336,000m³ of natural gas per year, which is roughly equivalent to 3500MWh. This amount of energy would be sufficient to power a city of approximately 15000 residents for one month. These numbers representa significant difference in terms of performance.