Oct. 27, 2025
Chilling Danish pastries with purpose
German pastry specialist Wolf ButterBack expands with GEA’s ammonia-based BluX chiller technology that delivers flexible, low-maintenance cooling while helping the company move closer to net zero.
When you bite into a freshly baked Danish pastry in a bakery somewhere in Europe, there’s a good chance its journey began at Wolf ButterBack in Fürth, Germany. Specializing in premium frozen pastries, the company supplies bakeries with ready-to-bake products, ensuring customers get that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste every time.
But behind the melt-in-your-mouth layers lies a cool secret: an advanced, energy-efficient refrigeration system built in partnership with GEA. The latest chapter in this collaboration, installing three BluX units powered by GEA’s CompaX technology, is helping ButterBack reach ambitious environmental targets while keeping production perfectly chilled.
The 2,500 m² technology center in plant 3 houses the cooling technology for production and the new deep-freeze storage facility. (Image: Wolf ButterBack)
Scaling up
Wolf ButterBack’s expansion over the past two decades has been impressive. With three plants now operating on the Fürth site, the demand for reliable, energy-efficient cooling has only grown. The company’s high-bay deep-freeze warehouses, spiral freezers and blast chillers all require precise temperature control to protect quality.
When they needed to increase capacity, Wolf ButterBack didn’t hesitate to choose GEA again, building on a successful relationship that once began with the field testing of GEA’s first semi-hermetic compact screw compressor for ammonia. The trust was well earned: The original system proved itself as a base-load powerhouse and has delivered reliable cooling performance already for many years.
The BluX + CompaX advantage
The new installation features two BluX and BluX (duo) units paired with GEA’s CompaX compressors, operating on natural refrigerant ammonia. The choice wasn’t just about performance; it was about using an energy-efficient solution.
“GEA has been using ammonia for a very long time – it’s versatile and highly efficient. Ammonia’s global warming potential is zero, and it delivers exceptional efficiency across a wide temperature range,” says Dirk Oschetzke, Senior Director Product Management & Automation at GEA Heating and Refrigeration Technologies. “It performs better than other refrigerants while lowering power consumption and total costs of ownership.”
For Wolf ButterBack, that means high performance today, without compromising tomorrow.
GEA has been using ammonia for a very long time – it’s versatile and highly efficient. Ammonia’s global warming potential is zero, and it delivers exceptional efficiency across a wide temperature range.
Dirk Oschetzke
Senior Director Product Management & Automation at GEA Heating and Refrigeration Technologies
Part-load flexibility is key
One of the standout features for Wolf ButterBack is the remarkable speed control. “The GEA CompaX runs between 1,000 and 6,000 rpm, which allows the system to adjust the capacity for fluctuating production demands in a very smooth, reliable and highly efficient way down to low-load requirements,” says Ron Hoffmann, GEA's Product Manager Screw Compressors “At night, when demand is lower, the Omni control reduces the capacity, saving energy. In the early morning, when production ramps up quickly, it increases output seamlessly by just increasing the compressor speed.”
This part-load capability is more than just a convenience: it’s a strategic advantage that helps lower electricity costs while maintaining optimal conditions for sensitive frozen products.
At night, when demand is lower, the Omni control reduces the capacity, saving energy. In the early morning, when production ramps up quickly, it increases output seamlessly by just increasing the compressor speed.
Ron Hoffmann
Product Manager Screw Compressors at GEA Heating and Refrigeration Technologies
This GEA Semi-hermetic ammonia screw compressor CompaX was installed at the Wolf ButterBack production site.
Less space required and great performance: The GEA BluX chiller is based on the compact GEA CompaX compressor.
Quiet, reliable and low maintenance
Industrial refrigeration doesn’t have to mean noise and constant servicing. The semi-hermetic design of the CompaX not only simplifies ammonia handling but also significantly reduces sound levels. Combined with low maintenance requirements, these features mean less downtime, lower operating costs and a quieter working environment – benefits the Wolf ButterBack team deeply values.
Longstanding partnership, shared vision
Wolf ButterBack’s decision to add more GEA units wasn’t just about technology; it was about trust. Over the years, GEA’s systems have consistently delivered on performance, efficiency and reliability. With a shared commitment to quality and innovation, the partnership has naturally evolved.
From field-testing innovations to deploying the latest BluX (duo) chillers, the relationship has grown into a shared mission: delivering exceptional products to customers while reducing environmental impact.
A recipe for the future
The aroma of warm, flaky pastries drifting from bakery ovens may never reveal the high-tech systems behind their journey, but for Wolf ButterBack and GEA, that’s part of the beauty.
The new BluX installation isn’t only an upgrade; it’s a signal of what’s possible when food production embraces innovation, resource efficiency and flexibility. It’s proof that engineering for a better world can be as delicious as it is impactful.
GEA CompaX
