Nespresso inaugurates new production centre in Romont

Nestlé Nespresso has inaugurated a factory in Romont, Switzerland to satisfy growing world demand for Nespresso coffee and support its expansion plan in North America.

In addition to producing classic Nespresso capsules, Romont will serve as the primary production site for the new VertuoLine Grands Crus. Designed to cater to North American preferences for large-cup coffees, the VertuoLine system was launched in the US and Canada in March 2014.

“Driven by innovation, the portioned coffee industry, which represents over USD 5 billion (CHF 4.88 billion), is growing strongly in that region. With VertuoLine, we have the right product to meet increasing demand,” said  Jean-Marc Duvoisin, CEO of Nestlé Nespresso.

Like the Nespresso production centres in Avenches and Orbe in the canton of Vaud nearby, the Romont facility is a centre of coffee innovation, excellence and expertise. “Our production centres play a key role in our value chain. This is where top quality green coffee, carefully selected from the world’s best coffee regions, are transformed by our highly skilled coffee experts into Nespresso Grands Crus,” said Mr. Duvoisin.

Alongside dedicated areas for coffee testing, blending, grinding and roasting, the production centre includes capsule production lines, storage silos for green and roasted coffee, and packaging and logistics areas.

Nestlé Nespresso achieves LEED Gold certification at Romont site

With the design, construction and operation of the Romont production centre, Nespresso has raised the bar on its sustainable operations by achieving LEED® Gold certification. LEED, which stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design”, is an internationally recognised, rigorous standard for high-performance green building. Its holistic approach addresses aspects such as energy-efficiency and water savings, employee wellbeing and environmentally friendly mobility. Romont is the first Nespresso production centre, and the first production centre of its kind in Switzerland, to obtain LEED Gold certification. It is the 19th Nestlé factory globally to achieve LEED certification.

In addition to strict compliance with the LEED criteria, the Romont production centre is anchored in Nespresso’s global sustainability framework, The Positive Cup. The new facility builds on the sustainability experience gained at the Nespresso production centres in Avenches and Orbe in areas such as energy efficiency, waste separation and recycling. It integrates innovative technology and design to minimise its environmental impact while optimising productivity.

For example, raw materials and VertuoLine capsules are transported by train. The facility was built with 20% recycled materials. Energy generated by roasters and air compressors is fully recovered to heat the production centre. Triple glazed windows and LED lighting further reduce energy consumption by 18%. Surplus heat will be supplied to the Romont district heating scheme. Photovoltaic panels covering the roof enable the facility to generate solar energy.

Nespresso has invested CHF300 million in the production centre. It has already created 125 skilled, direct jobs.