Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has unveiled a groundbreaking $10 million integrated automation and barrel handling system at its Barossa Valley winery. This state-of-the-art system features nine driverless forklifts, a custom barrel management software system, automated barrel washing and filling facilities, and individual barrel identification.
The new automation system, operating 24 hours a day, five days a week, is set to significantly enhance TWE’s red wine handling capacity to 125,000 barrels. Additionally, it will expand the overall production capacity at the site by 60 percent, reduce energy consumption, and create a safer working environment by minimizing manual handling tasks.
Kerrin Petty, Chief Supply & Sustainability Officer, highlighted the innovation’s impact, stating, “Our Barossa Valley site is fast becoming an international hub of innovation in winemaking, sustainability, and resilience. Introducing full automation in our barrel hall increases our luxury and premium winemaking capacity, so we can craft more of our renowned wines for wine lovers around the world while creating a safer working environment for our people.”
The new system optimizes workforce allocation in the barrel hall. Forklift operators have been re-skilled to manage the digital barrel management system and the new automated vehicles or have transitioned to other roles within the site.
Enhanced data and analytics from the automated system provide greater traceability and improved quality control for the winery’s 60,000 barrels of wine, which include renowned brands like Penfolds, Pepperjack, and Saltram.
Jodie Rowlands, Director of Supply Technology, noted the system’s benefits: “We’ve seen improvements in safety, efficiency, and traceability in our barrel hall, with the team on site embracing the new way of working. The efficiency and precision of automated, sensor-based forklifts to transport the barrels lowers energy consumption compared to manual handling processes.”
The project, which began planning and trials in late 2020, was fully commissioned and became operational in June 2024.
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