CO-RO’s ambitious Project One Plant: Building a factory for the future

In Frederikssund in the northwestern part of Zealand, Denmark, a new era for CO-RO, a leading producer of fruit-based soft drinks and ice lollies, is taking shape. With over 50 years of expertise in delivering  products like Sunquick, Suntop, Suncola and Sun Lolly to consumers across the globe, CO-RO is now embarking on a new chapter in their production history and are building a state-of-the-art production facility, called Project One Plant.

The new factory is designed to future-proof the delivery of high-quality beverages for the next 50 years to come and is made in partnership with NIRAS.

Partnering up for a pioneering project

While CO-RO brings decades of experience, the scope of Project One Plant called for a partner who could guide them through each intricate phase of development - from conceptual design and supplier selection to detailed engineering and final execution. Understanding CO-RO’s commitment to creating a factory that exceeds today’s standards while preparing for tomorrow’s demands, NIRAS worked towards the goal of translating CO-RO’s vision into a reality capable of producing the next generation of beverages.

“For a project of this magnitude, it’s not only about construction, we needed to ensure CO-RO’s new facility could integrate seamlessly with their current operations, all while equipping the organisation with new capabilities and ways of working. It’s the most complex project I have ever seen, involving every layer of CO-RO’s organisation from the ground up,” Hans Christian Aller, Project Manager in NIRAS explains.

Balancing complexity and continuity

The vision for Project One Plant encompasses more than just building a new production site With existing operations ongoing, the project involves transforming CO-RO’s entire production approach, integrating the latest manufacturing technologies to boost efficiency, and maintaining day-to-day output to serve customers around the world. For NIRAS, that meant designing a solution that was both forward-thinking and adaptable to CO-RO’s immediate business needs.

Throughout the project, NIRAS worked closely with CO-RO to develop new ways of working and ensure that everything was ready for this transformative change. From implementing the latest in automation to configuring a layout that optimises workflow, every aspect of the facility is crafted to support seamless operations—both today and in the decades to come.

“This factory is not only about having a building and equipment ready, it's also about getting the organisation ready to take it into use. So it's as much about people and processes and ways of working as it is about concrete and equipment. We have more than 50 years experience with delivering great products to the world, but we have never built a factory of this complexity or run a project of this size before. We needed help from NIRAS who could help us to take us through the process of conceptual design, tender with suppliers, detailed engineering and execution,” Kasper Herluf Østlund, Vice President Global Supply Chain & Transformations at CO-RO, elaborates.