Hagenbrunn laundry halves its electricity, gas and water use

A large laundry in Hagenbrunn, Lower Austria, has cut its electricity, gas and water use by half with modern technology, ORF reports. Operator Hammerl Textilcare says the facility is Europe’s most energy-efficient large laundry.

The plant cleans up to 45 tonnes of laundry a day for hotels in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland. It opened about a year ago in Hagenbrunn, in the district of Korneuburg.

Three industrial washing machines, each about the size of an articulated lorry, clean the textiles. Each load contains nearly one tonne of laundry, according to managing director Robert Hammerl. Water is recycled for as long as possible, with only a small amount discharged into the sewer.

After drying, terry towels travel in white sacks to robots that sort and fold them. Hammerl said the robots still work more slowly than people. The company has not directly reduced its workforce through automation: increased capacity has allowed it to keep roughly the same number of employees.

The laundry is moved through the hall by gravity, with few motors in use, helping to reduce energy consumption. Staff sometimes find items left in hotel laundry, including underwear and mobile phones.